Wamble Gallimaufry
by KyoSohmaLuver
Summary: A collection of Tallahassee/Columbus oneshots, drabbles, poems, and basically anything that comes to mind. I know that this has been done multiple times already, but I thought I'd put in my two cents. Rating K to M. M to be safe.
1. Showers

Title: Shower

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

* * *

In Zombieland, you couldn't take anything for granted. Once you did, you'd probably get eaten. Taking things for granted meant putting down your guard just enough to let those undead fuckers get the best of you, and just when you thought it was okay to take something for granted, you were wrong.

That's what Columbus thought, at least. He knew, even before the world went to hell, that taking things for granted was never in people's best interest. Once you thought you had something, another usually came and took it right out from under you. Never expect anything from anyone, and you'll never let yourself get hurt. Never get your hopes up, because the thing you're hoping for will probably never happen. Never open yourself to anyone, never lay your trust on anyone, and always follow the rules.

Rule # 45: Never get your hopes up.

It was mid September and something in their minds was telling them that they needed to stop. They'd gone hours on end in the car, taking turns driving, and allowing themselves the comfort of the person in the passenger seat as a vent for conversation. They usually didn't let Columbus drive, but that was an unspoken unanimous decision between the group that no one chose to discuss.

When Tallahassee pulled in front of the row of houses in the suburban area, Columbus jumped from his near sleep. The girls were in the back, leaning against each other as they slept. Glancing at the larger man before looking at the house again, Columbus chose not to question this destination, "You think there're any in there?"

"Sure hope so." Tallahassee cocked his gun with one hand, a large smirk growing on his lips as he looked over the front of the car at the abandoned house. It wasn't covered in blood, despite its surroundings, and it looked almost comforting to someone like Columbus. Tallahassee, on the other hand, would find a Rottweiler with foam on its lips comforting. And he did.

Columbus didn't like Rottweilers.

"Come on, Spit fuck." Tallahassee once again used his favorite nickname for the boy, watching as he zoned out, "get the girls and the guns. I'll go make sure there are no fuckers in there."

Columbus liked that idea. Pushing open the door to their current car, he jumped out, making sure to close the door softly behind him. The door to the back was already opening as he reached for it, making him jump slightly as Little Rock jumped out with a huge smile on her face, only passing him a glance before making a run towards the house.

"Damn, I sure hope the showers work!"

Walking to the back, almost positive that Wichita would follow her sister, he opened the door, reaching in and grabbing the firearms. He closed the door quietly before walking towards the house, watching as Wichita and Little Rock went through the enterance of the house, seeing that Tallahassee was talking to them.

"All clear?" Columbus threw the duffel of guns at the larger man, watching as he caught them, his leather jacket thrown over one arm. Columbus didn't want to comment on how well the older man looked in that shirt, especially considering he'd taken his jacket off.

"Yeah, didn't see anything." Tallahassee toed off his shoes, walking into the kitchen as he did so. Columbus followed absently, picking up the boots as he did, hearing Wichita and Little Rock storm up the stairs, screaming something about who would get the shower first.

Placing the boots near the doorway, Columbus lifted one of his shirt strings to his mouth, allowing his teeth to naw at it.

"Want a sandwich?" Tallahassee didn't wait for a reply as he pulled out some bread (surprisingly not covered in mold) and some mayo in the fridge (something that apparently never went bad either). Columbus nodded a bit, taking a seat at one of the bar stools.

Tallahassee glanced at the boy before turning around in the kitchen again, "What's eating at you?"

Columbus shook his head, leaning his chin in his palm, "Just tired. We've been going nearly twelve hours now."

"Yeah, well, I hardly say we're not used to it." Tallahassee nearly slammed the mayo bottle back on the table, leaning heavily on the table and pointing at Columbus with the knife he was using, "why don't you just take a shower, then have yourself a little nap. Heaven knows we could all use it."

"That sounds like a damn good idea." Columbus leaned forward, resting his forehead on the table and allowing himself a sigh. He couldn't believe they'd made it this far without any trouble. Since Pacific Playland, they'd hardly run into any of the undead fuckers. It'd only been about two weeks, but something about the whole situation unnerved him. He just hoped that they didn't run into them any time soon.

He didn't even realize that he'd just clearly broken rule number 45. Everyone knew what happened when you break a rule. Newton's third law acted with full force.

Columbus was jolted from his soft doze by a hand shaking his shoulder, making him jump and spin around quickly, coming face-to-face with the doe-eyed girl that he'd once liked.

"Whoa, calm down." She let a soft smirk cover her lips, a snort coming out of her nose. A towel was draped across her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a white tee, "I just wanted to tell you that Little Rock and I are done with the shower. Florida wanted you to have the shower first."

"Thanks." Columbus nodded and ran a hand through his hair, making sure to cover his mouth as a yawn tore through, "You guys going to bed? Tallahassee and I can take the first watch shift."

"I already expected that, but Tallahassee insisted that Little Rock and I take the first shift." She snorted again, turning around and laughing at her own little joke, "Just hurry up, you hear? We're gonna be waking you up in seven hours."

Columbus nodded, rubbing at his eyes as he slowly trudged his way up the stairs and into the bathroom, the soft light coming from the fogged over lights making his mind even more tired than it already was. There was a clean towel nicely on the toilet, and a folded pair of boxers and a shirt lay calmly on top of it. He didn't have time to wonder who did that before he stripped himself of his shirt, closing the door and not bothering to lock it.

His second mistake.

Turning the knobs of the shower, letting the warm steam cover his face and sighing as a soft smile covered his face. He couldn't wait to get the grime off his skin, the days of oil caked in his hair, the blood and who knows what else pasted onto his body. He couldn't wait to get that off, then snuggle down into a soft warm bed, and sleep the hours away until he had to wake up and face the torment that was Zombieland again.

He was also happy about the fact that Tallahassee would be sleeping in the bed next to his, but he wouldn't mention that. He felt safe with the other man around.

The warm spray hit his body and he groaned, bringing his hands up to cup the water, letting the streams run down his body and soak into his skin. Had anything felt so good before? He couldn't believe it. He felt as if a thousand pounds were being washed away, down the drain with many things. Letting his eyes slip closed, he scrubbed at his skin, allowing his face to form into a smile yet again.

He was so infused with his shower, with the warming qualities of the water, the calm feel of clean skin, that he didn't notice the door open quietly, the other's downstairs watching a movie. One of them should have been upstairs, watching the rooms, or at least that's what Columbus had expected.

His third mistake.

There was a sudden rustling sound and Columbus didn't have time to react before grimy and bloody hands were shoved into the curtain, plunging toward the boy and grabbing at his flesh, the teeth of the being already trying to naw at his skin. Letting out no more than a squeak, Columbus spun around to face the assailant, pressing himself against the wall of the shower.

The zombie let out a ferocious squeal as he clawed and grabbed at him, its teeth breaking through the weak curtain and coming within inches of him. Columbus pushed away at the thing, his eyes wide and panicked. Letting out a loud scream, Columbus knew that this was probably the day that he was going to die. His feet were falling from under him, his arms were trapped either against the wall of the shower or against him, and the snarled and broken teeth of the man in front of him were snapping inches from his skin.

Falling on his back, the weight of the zombie landed fully on him, the curtain pressed between them as Columbus desperately tried to push away the creature with both his legs and his arms. Blood and saliva was dripping onto his skin, and the ugly sounds coming from the thing above him was enough to make Columbus's skin crawl.

The teeth were millimeters from his skin, his arms trapped, his mind set for death, when the door burst open, and a loud cry coming from the other side of it. It was something that Columbus had come to depend on, and it was a oddly welcome sight when he saw the chainsaw-wielding hick come screaming into the bathroom.

"Ohio!"

The creature was ripped off him, and it was dead within seconds, it's head coming to rest near the edge of the bathtub, of which one of Columbus's legs was draped lazily over the side. His arms were splayed out, pressed harshly against the porcelain, and his other foot was pressed against the faucet. His body was still shaking, and all he could do was stare at Tallahassee as he assessed the situation.

"Hey…" Tallahassee threw his chainsaw back into the hall, stepping carefully into the bathtub as not to scare the man under him. Man? He wouldn't put it that way. The boy under him looked so young, so innocent as his eyes stayed wide and his body stayed shaking. Something panged in Tallahassee's heart as he looked down at the other.

Resting on his knees beside the other, he pressed a large callused hand to the side of Columbus's face, watching as the boy jumped, eyes wide and searching. They caught on him, and Tallahassee, try as he might, couldn't stop the wave of protectiveness that swept over him. It wasn't just this moment, but all the times before, which added up to one conclusion that was brought to light when those eyes landed on him.

He needed to protect this boy. He needed to protect Columbus like he'd never protected anything before. He'd failed Buck, something he regretted every day, but not this time. He'd never fail Columbus, not if his life depended on it.

"You okay, Columbus?" Tallahassee ran his hand softly through the other's damp curls, "You think you can get up?"

There was a nervous chuckle, and Columbus broke his gaze on Tallahassee to shift his eyes around. He pressed a hand to his chest to keep the curtains there, lest he wanted to lose his dignity, and stood shakily, not ignoring the rough hand on his elbow. It wasn't meant to be rough, but he doubted the man knew any different.

"Let's get you to bed." Tallahassee grabbed the towel off the rack and placed it around the other's shoulders, trying to force a warm smile, something he wasn't used to, "come on."

Columbus could only nod and turn to grab the pile of clothing that had been waiting for him on the toilet, only to withdraw his hands as he saw the once clean pajamas were now covered in foul smelling blood.

"Come on, there's more in the room." Tallahassee led the other into the hallway, only silently nodding to the two girls who waited nervously near the stairs, "Damn, Columbus, you always seem to get yourself into this type of fucking shit."

* * *

"Fuck, Columbus, you need to fucking take a shower!" Wichita, usually a woman who knew when to keep her anger (and mouth) in check (spare when intoxicated), yelled nearly at the top of her lungs as she brought the hem of her shirt up to cover her nose. She knew that the scare about a week ago was a big thing for Columbus (for all of them), but this was just fucking ridiculous!

Columbus nervously shifted over toward the open window, watching as Little Rock moved forward in the passenger seat in an attempt to get away from him, and even Tallahassee was keeping his distance. He'd passed up three chances to take a shower at four different houses they'd stopped at, and even at the constant badgering he wouldn't enter a bathroom with the intent to get into those enclosed boxes of hell. Not even Little Rock's puppy eyes were enough to get him to take a shower.

"We know you're scared and shit, but fuck, you need to suck it up!"

Tallahassee, one who didn't mind smells, was laughing his ass off as he watched the two girls goad and plead the other to get into that shower and wash the hours of filth off him. In the days that they'd left the house after Columbus had his scare, they'd met more zombies than the whole beginning of their trip combined. Granted, most of the blood and gore got on the travelers as they had to resort to close-range weapons, and they'd all take their showers the nearest point they got. All except Columbus. The most he'd do was change his clothes and spray some Axe on himself, but even that wasn't enough.

"I thought you were the phobia-prone, hypersensitive, germaphobe of the group." Tallahassee looked at the other, his eyes softening as he saw the embarrassment in the other's eyes, "What's it to you to let a little zombie scare you from getting clean? I've never seen anything shake you up this bad."

Columbus didn't get it either. But every time he threw back the curtains, ready to feel that warm water, he was reminded of that zombie. Those teeth that came to close to ending his life. Those hands that were clawing at his arms. Those soulless eyes that looked as though they were going to dig into him.

Wichita screamed again as she got a particularly bad whiff of the boy. That smell, combined with the smell of Axe (something she didn't particularly find pleasant), combined with everything else, finally made her scream. She threw the car into park and thrust the door open, watching as her sister did the same. Yelling something about checking the area, she ran towards the abandoned house about ten feet in front of them, something Columbus hadn't noticed at first.

"Sorry." Columbus bit at his sweater string again, "Every time I go to take a shower, I see that fucking zombie. I can't get it out of my head."

"Reminds me of Psycho, you know that movie, right?" Tallahassee threw open his door, taking a long breath of the clean air before walking around the back of the car to open the door for the other, "Alfred Hitchcock movie, right?"

"I've seen Psycho, Tallahassee." Columbus opened his door before Tallahassee could get to it, staring at the other with an incredulous look, "I may have been sheltered, but not _that _sheltered."

"I was just checkin'." Tallahassee chuckled a bit, slapping the other on the back as they made their way toward the house, "I was just thinking about that. How did that chick get over her fear of showers?"

"Well, for starters, she didn't have a fear of showers." Columbus rolled his eyes and made his way into the house, spotting the stairs and walking up them, "And secondly, she died."

"Oh, I never actually saw the movie." Tallahassee groaned, "Just, you know what I'm tryin' to say, Spitfuck. Do you know how she woulda' gotten over her fear of showers?"

"I don't know, I'm not Lila Crane."

"Who?"

"Never mind."

Columbus didn't even spare the bathroom a glance as he started past it, his heart racing, just itching to get out of those clothes and into a new pair. He couldn't even think about a shower now. He walked right by, forgetting that a very stubborn hick was at his tail.

His fourth mistake.

Tallahassee didn't make a grab for the boy, instead choosing to take a long look at the bathroom, his mind already racing with devious ideas. Devilish devious ideas.

* * *

"Tallahassee!" Columbus pulled at his arm as the other dragged him further into the house. The older man had just recently announced that he had a cure to Columbus's phobia of the shower, and he was just itching to show it to the boy.

Said boy, on the other hand, was not as excited as the other. Sparing one hoping glance back over his shoulder at the two sisters, he soon realized that he would be getting no retribution from them. The hand around his wrist tightened almost to the point of pain as he tried to wrench himself out of the grip, still trying to deny the fact that he would never be able to get away from the other. Tallahassee had the grip of a jackal.

"No, no, no, nonononono!" Columbus's eyes widened as he saw that bathroom come into view. He'd been able to avoid one for a while now, seeing as they hadn't found a hospitable house for about two weeks now, but there was no avoiding it now. Looking from the crazed hick with the power grip on his arm to the bathroom, he could feel his lungs tightening, "What are you planning on doing, Tallahassee?"

"Fuck, I don't know!" His voice was filled with annoyance, a scowl already on his face as he pulled the boy into the bathroom, swinging the door closed and locking it with a click, "I'll take a fucking shower with you if I have to!"

The larger man paused a moment in front of the other, before a wicked smile stretched on his face, "By god, I don't think that's such a bad idea."

Columbus glanced nervously at the hick, gulping and fiddling again with the tails of his sweater, "N-no, don't do that, Tallahassee. I….I-I'll take a shower…"

"No, you won't." Tallahassee pulled at the bottom of the other's shirts, absently hearing the girls enter the house under them. They'd checked the house out a few hours earlier, and the girls had already gotten their showers. This streak of luck they were having with relatively clear houses, he didn't like it, and he knew that it would end eventually.

He wanted to get this kid in the shower as soon as he could.

"Now, start taking yer' clothes off."

"N-no!" Columbus's face erupted in a furious blush as he saw the man in front of him start stripping, revealing the toned skin and muscle under his shirt, rippling as he went to remove his pants. Columbus caught himself staring as the man swiftly pushed the button through the loop of his pants, his strong fingers pulling down the –

No! Columbus shook his head and shot his hands out, grabbing the other by the wrists before the man's boxers could be revealed, "no! I'll take a shower by myself!"

"Aww, you don't want little old me in the shower with you?" Tallahassee pulled down the zipper of his pants, before taking his hands off the fabric and turning them around, lacing his fingers with Columbus's. Before the boy could ask what the other was doing, his hands were pressed above his head, and Tallahassee's lips were millimeters from his.

"Now, I could take a shower with you…" Tallahassee pressed forward, a devious smirk on his face, "Or, I could leave…"

Gulping, Columbus looked at Tallahassee's lips, then up at his eyes. Those eyes. How could he not have noticed how beautiful those eyes were? And that body pressing against his, those toned chest muscles, those soft callused hands…everything about him. Columbus felt himself whispering back before he could stop himself, "…shower…."

"Good." The hick reached one hand down and patted the other harshly on the cheek, an edge of softness stopping the pat from hurting, "now, take those clothes off. Or am I going to have to help you with that, too?"

"Just might." Columbus smirked at himself, but his now free hands were already searching down his body and pulling up at his pullover sweater. Nerves ate at his mind, making his hands shake as he attempted to pull off his shirt and let it rest near their pile of dirty clothes. All he could remember was those eyes. He didn't like zombies, and the fear of something attacking him and him having no way to defend himself just added to the fear he was feeling. Defenseless. He wouldn't have minded if the zombie attacked him in the shower if he'd had his shotgun right next to him.

Tallahassee saw his little guy's shaking hands and sighed, taking them again, but this time much softer. He pressed forward again and wound and arm around the other's waist, bringing him forward and resting his chin on that soft (and greasy) head of hair, "It's okay, Spitfuck. I'm here okay? I won't let anything get you."

Columbus nodded shakily, wishing he had some sweater strings to chew on.

* * *

Oh, god. Oh, god. Ohgod…Ohgod-ohgod-ohgod….

Columbus's hands shook as he raised them to his chest, pressing them there, scared to move them in fear that he would brush against the man in front of him. The warm press of the water against his forehead would have usually comforted him, but the fear of what was in front of him and what was on the other side of the curtain changed that fact, making him forget the calming effects.

"Hey, look at me." Tallahassee put a quick hand on Columbus's shoulder, before reaching behind the other and grabbing the random bottle of shampoo. His eyes shifting toward the curtain, behind of which he remembered to lock the door, before turning and looking the younger boy in the eye, raising an eyebrow. "You ready for shampoo?"

Columbus gulped and nodded, his eyes shutting tight as he tried to forget what had happened the last time he was in one of these porcelain death traps. He heard the gentle click of the shampoo bottle opening, and he jumped when he felt the other's fingers thread through his hair, massaging into his scalp with the soft scent of the shampoo.

"Stop fucking thinking about it." Tallahassee sighed and raised his hands, letting the water rinse them off, "You'll run yourself into the grave."

Columbus glared, turning away and looking at the wall of the bathroom, "You weren't the one that was fucking attacked by a zombie when you were taking a shower! I didn't even have a gun with me! I would have died if you hadn't of come in!"

Tallahassee swiftly put his hands on the boy's shoulders, making the other look him in the eye, "And I always will. You don't have anything to be afraid of, Spitfuck, because I will always be there to protect you. No matter what. You don't have to be afraid of anything as long as I'm around."

Columbus stared, his face beginning to heat up with blush, his mouth gaping open, his eyes wide. Had Tallahassee really just said what he thought he said? Big, brutish, Twinkie-loving, gun-toting, shoot-em-up Tallahassee just said that he'd protect him? A nervous shut in like him?

His thoughts were silenced as the other flicked him In the head, making him wince and back up. Tallahassee smirked, leveling his eyes to Columbus's again, "What did I say about thinking?"

"Not to." Columbus rubbed at his forehead, but despite the slight tingle radiating from there, a smile spread across his face, the warning of what could be behind those curtains leaving with a blink of an eye. Because it was true; he always felt safer around Tallahassee….and not only because the man more often than not kept more than three weapons on him. Columbus chucked to himself, looking up through his wet bangs at the man he was sharing a shower with, a soft smile on his face, "I don't quite think I'm gonna be scared anymore. Of showers, at least."

Before he could even get another word in, Columbus felt his body being pulled forward, and his body held flush against the one in front of him. The warmth of the shower water was no match for the warmth of the body against his, the smoldering arms around his waist, and the bruising lips on his.

"You've got to stop looking so god damn fucking cute." Tallahassee let loose for a breath of air, holding Columbus tighter as he felt the boy go weak.

Columbus looked up at Tallahassee, his arms threaded around the man's neck, his chest heaving as he tried to grasp air. Moving forward again, he pressed his lips to the others, this time taking the initiative for himself. That was one hell of a kiss, and he didn't mind asking for seconds.

* * *

"Ahh! Clean air! Pure, fresh, beautiful, clean air!"

"I get it! I get it! I'll take more showers!"

Little Rock smirked as she slung her arm over the back rest of the front seat, looking back at the boy sitting in the back. One of her favorite pastimes, one she shared with her sister, was tormenting Columbus. Needless to say, she indulged herself often, and always came out of the situation feeling sated and proud of herself.

"I'm just commenting on the beautiful air." Little Rock rolled her eyes, scooting forward more to get a better look at the boy sitting in the back seat, "By the way, how'd you get outta your fear of the shower?"

She wasn't surprised when a giant blush broke out on Columbus's face. He mumbled something, stuttered, and fumbled for a minute before quietly telling her to shut up before looking out the window yet again. Little Rock chuckled to herself before twisting around and seating herself down again.

Now, Little Rock wasn't the smartest crayon in the box, and you didn't need to be in Zombieland, but even she understood what was going on between the skittish boy in the backseat and the hick currently driving the car. Hell, it wasn't that hard to put together when she saw the huge satisfied smile on Tallahassee's face.

* * *

AN: My first Zombieland fanfic. Go easy, please.


	2. Hair

Title: Hair

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

AN: Thank you so much everyone for favoriting or alerting my story. A special thanks to **Cooper Sterling, GooooodPie, and Creativeamber **for reviewing. They made me feel better, and as always, they give me inspiration.

* * *

He had no hair.

Usually, this wouldn't have been a problem for Columbus. Seeing as he wasn't the one to tell a person what hair style they should have, the reasoning behind his aching disappointment at a certain male was unjust. Considering the circumstances, he doubted that he should ever have cared who had what hairstyle, nor had he ever. But for some reason, unbeknownst to him, he found himself time and time again wondering why Tallahassee had little to no hair.

Well, considering the fact that they were now (unofficially) seeing each other, the need to tell Tallahassee that he had no hair was overwhelming. He'd been guessing on why the other's hair mattered to him so much, and he'd only come up with one conclusion thus far:

If there was no hair, there was nothing to brush behind Tallahassee's hair.

See, ever since he was young, Columbus had been odd. Choosing rather to stay at home than hang out with friends, he'd been rather desolate his whole life. He might have said once that this was because he listened to his parents all too well, and took after their example of being no-life shut-ins. They had no problem with him having little to no friends that he spent little to no time with. In fact, they couldn't have been happier for him.

Needless to say, Columbus took after his parents.

So, being the shut in that he was, he took to watching. Just about anything, he realized, he'd watch. But he liked watching his parents the most. The once idolized grown-ups that he'd grown to call his parents, people that he once thought could do no wrong (the main reason he took to their example so heavily) were actually normal, just like everyone he'd ever seen. They got into fights (more often than not), they kissed, they hugged, and they made mistakes.

But one thing, one thing he remembered above all else, was the fact that his father always swept his mother's hair behind her ear. She always got this flushed smile on her face, her hands coming up to nervously fiddle with the hem of her shirt.

But, therein lays the problem. He'd been obsessed with pushing a girl's (well, now man's) hair behind their ear, but what was he supposed to do now? There was _no _hair to push behind!

"Hey, you're pouting."

Columbus looked up at his boyfriend (_"Don't call me that, it makes me sound all gay."_), trying in vain to morph that pout he knew was there off his face. He was leaning against the other in the back seat of the car, the scenery slipping idly past them as Wichita drove through the night. Little Rock was sitting next to her, slumped against the door as sleep took her over a few minutes before.

Columbus sighed and pushed further into his boyfriends (he didn't care what anyone said, he was going to continue calling Tallahassee that) chest, feeling the warm arm around his shoulders tighten, "it's nothing. I was just thinking."

"Don't make it a habit." Tallahassee smirked as another pout made its way onto the other's face.

Columbus looked up at the other, opening his mouth to get ready to tell the other off, when his eyes caught the others. There was an edge of disappointment in Columbus as he stared at the other, a childish stupid disappointment, but he really just wanted to brush hair over an ear.

"Hey…" Tallahassee gave a lopsided smile, and started to lift his hand.

And time seemed to slow. Columbus watched with wide eyes as Tallahassee started to raise a hand, slowly moving forward, towards his face. Watching and feeling in amazement, Columbus nearly melted as those fingers ran over the ridge of his cheek, then swept back and caught a strand of loose hair, soothing it back behind his ear.

"…You okay?"

Columbus couldn't hold back the nervous blush, and his hands came up to fiddle at the hem of his shirt. Leaning forward in order to press his face into the other's neck, he nodded, feeling Tallahassee's other arm go around his waist to hole him tighter. Letting out a soft sigh, he smiled against the other's skin, "Yeah…Yeah, I'm great."

It was true, now that Columbus thought about it, that Tallahassee had little to no hair. And true also, there would be no brushing hair on his part, but that was okay with him now.

He had enough hair for the both of them. And it would get swept. And he was okay with that.

* * *

Short but sweet, I always say.


	3. The Journal, Entries 1 to 4

**PLEASE READ THE AN:**

The chapters with the title 'The Journal' shall have nothing to do with Zombieland. Well, they will be in tune with the whole zombie aspect, but they will not have Columbus, Tallahassee, nor the sisters in them. I wanted to show the progression of Zombieland through the eyes of a child, through diary entries. You do not need to read these, and they are merely for observation, and the way I think Zombieland came to be. I repeat, you do not need to read these. So, I'm going to be updating each Journal entry with a regular Zombieland one-shot/drabble/poem, so the people that don't want to read the Journal entries still have something to read every time I update. I hope you enjoy reading them, because I certainly enjoyed writing them.

* * *

Title: The Journal, Entries 1 - 4

Characters/Pairing: Unnamed Little Girl

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me….well; The Journal does…and so does Unnamed Little Girl.

* * *

January 2nd, 2010

Momma said that I should keep a diary now. She said it was good for a girl my age to keep a diary, because I might look back at it in a couple years and remember something I might forget. Momma said that this was a very special diary, and no one could look at it if I didn't want them to. Momma's so smart! There's a lock and everything, and only I have the key, so even Terrance can't get in!

I made it my new years resl…reso…promise, to keep a diary, and momma said that it was very good that a seven year old was keeping a diary, specially because Cristy hasn't even written her full name yet! I promise to write every day, and if I forget, I'll write super long then next day so that it'll make it seem like I'm not missing anything.

Momma even bought me my new diary, it's so pretty. I love momma.

* * *

January 3rd, 2010

I went back to school today after Christmas break, and Cristy said that she wasn't talking to me anymore because I got the new Samantha Doll and she didn't. But I don't think that's fair, because last year she got the new Chad Doll, and I didn't, and so Janet had to go to the ball alone. Momma agreed with me, and we went to go get some ice cream. I love momma.

We had to write a list of what we got for Christmas, and I felt bad because I only filled up half of my page. I saw that some of the other kids had to go onto the back of their pages, but Mrs. Fuller told me that it was okay that I didn't have a whole page. She told me that I got the special presents, the ones that meant a lot even though I didn't get a lot of them.

Momma said that it was okay, too, and that's why we went to go get ice cream.

* * *

January 4th, 2010

I'm sorry for not writing yesterday! I went on the school field trip to the Natural History Museum, and we went to go see the dinosaurs, and I forgot my diary there. I was crying, but my momma said that it was okay, and we went back this morning before school and they had it in the lost and found. I thanked them and the lady said that I was very polite for someone my age. I smiled, and momma agreed with her. I love momma.

I went home and daddy was there and momma got mad. I didn't want momma to get mad, but she told me to go into my room and write in my diary. I did, but I called Cristy instead, I wanted to apologize for getting the new Samantha Doll, but she didn't answer.

I'm still writing, and momma is still talking to daddy, I wish that I could talk to daddy. I've missed him.

* * *

January 5th, 2010

Cirsty didn't come to school today. Momma said that it was because she was sick, but I think that Cristy is faking it. Momma said that that wasn't very nice to say, but I still think Cristy is faking it. Cristy doesn't get sick a lot; I've never seen her sick before. She even missed pets day at school, and even though I didn't have a pet to take, it was really fun to see Peter's dog.

Momma said that we might get a puppy, but daddy has to sign some papers before that. Daddy didn't come over today even though he said he'd take me to the park. Momma said he's sick, just like Cristy.

I think daddy's faking it, too.


	4. Occult, Part 1

Title: Occult, Part 1

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

The gun pointed at his forehead twitched as the man listened to Tallahassee's yells, his teeth grinding together. His breath came in heavy pants as he breathed through the ski mask, his finger itching to press the trigger, see that light in the boy's eyes wither and fade. Columbus gulped, his eyes wide, watching as Tallahassee screamed at them to _put their guns fucking down. Fucking now!_

Columbus writhed against the hand holding his neck tightly, trying to wrench himself out of that grip. He was surrounded. His neck ached, as did his head where the man was pressing the gun against his skin with impressive force. He was surrounded. His fingers ached as he continued to try and pry the arm off his neck, gasping for more breath, as he was only allowed gasps at a time. He was surrounded. The people around him chuckled and laughed, holding back his friends from getting to him. He was surrounded.

[{**Occult:**

**1. of or pertaining to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies. **

**2. beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious. **

**3. secret; disclosed or communicated only to the initiated. **

**4. hidden from view. }]**

"Fuck! Get the fuck off him!"

Tallahassee's voice was as comforting as it was allowed to be, considering the fact that Columbus was in a considerable amount of pain. The hand tightened, and the man leaned in as he did so, sucking in a huge whiff of air around Columbus's neck.

"Oooh, I think we got one, boys." The man with the mask spoke with mirth, his smiling face barely showing underneath the mask, "Fucking pussy right here. Smells fucking nice, fucking nice, boys."

The men around him whooped and hollered, making the man they were holding back wrench and strain even more against the arms holding him back. If they even touched HIS Columbus, they would be begging him to stop when he got a hold of them. He would kill them. He would kill them.

"You smell good." The man pushed Columbus away, still holding onto his neck, lowering the gun to point it at the ground, "We got the right one."

They whooped again, holding their guns up and firing into the sky. The area they were at was surrounded by trees, beautiful towering trees that rustled in the air. Columbus would have appreciated their beauty if his vision hadn't gone so hazy. It hadn't taken them a long time to get there, a place that Little Rock had wanted to go, because the mere thought of having a normal picnic in a normal park was something that made the girl wither in excitement. They'd abandoned the car in hopes of finding a spot that wasn't covered in blood, and that had brought them here.

The place where they were attacked by something that could be considered even more dangerous than zombies. Faster. Smarter. Creepier.

It was a cult, that's all that Columbus could put it as. A cult was the only group of people that could rightfully spout something like this. Words of sacrifice and the right one and … and … death deities?

"They will be happy." The man sniffed at Columbus again, before groaning and laughing, turning around and waving his arm out at the men behind him, "Ooh, men, this is a glorious day. The deities of death have put matters into their own hands by bringing the death and destruction of their worlds and unleashing it upon ours. These living dead, these creatures of death, they are the work of the deities."

The men whooped again, and Columbus struggled harder, only making the hand on his neck tighten. Gulping, he struggled, watching as the man holding him stopped his tirade, turning his gaze toward the young man, his face twisting into a fowl glare. He murmured something under his breath, before raising his hand swiftly and bringing the butt of his gun down harshly on the side of Columbus's head, smirking at the satisfying crack it produced.

"Columbus!" Tallahassee struggled harder, nearly needing five men to hold him back as his eyes flashed with pure, raw fury. He was going to fucking kill them all. He saw his boy being thrown about, smelled, nearly choked and then pistol whipped, he wasn't happy. Everyone was fucking going to die when he got out of their grip. He saw Wichita holding her sister to her breast, breathing heavily.

"The sacrifice of a virgin…" The man smiled impishly again, his head tilting to the side as he looked down at Columbus again, "What a blissful thing this is. We shall sacrifice your body to the deities. Your body has not been tainted by another; you shall work perfectly for our plan."

Columbus flushed as much as his face would allow him, his mind spinning but still hearing the word: virgin. It wasn't his fault he was scared to go any further with Tallahassee, despite how much he knew the man wanted to. Hearing those words and looking dazedly into Tallahassee's eyes, he wished he'd done something differently. He wasn't ashamed that he hadn't gone any further with his boyfriend (_"__For you, I guess…you can call me your boyfriend."_), but his heart ached and strained toward the other, trying to keep contact with Tallahassee. It was strange how desperately he wanted to be in Tallahassee's arms, feeling their warmth…

"Ahh, you will indeed do nicely." The man let loose a small chuckle, making Columbus's skin crawl. He was about to go on with his little speech, when something interrupted him:

"Boss, we got trouble!" One of the henchmen jogged up to the man, his face covered by a handkerchief, his eyes wide with worry as he looked down at the boy in his bosses hand, "They are coming, boss."

"The dead ones?" The man turned around, his ears pricking at the sound of those high pitched pig-like squeals. His mouth curled into a smirk, waiting for them to emerge from the trees, looking over the shoulders of the many men he had waiting.

"Aaah!" One of the men to the right screamed, trying to wrench himself around and shoot at the form attacking his back, but blood was already squirting from his neck, drenching his front as the dead man latched onto him, "Fuck! Get him the fuck off me!"

The other men scattered, watching as more and more undead freaks emerged from the trees, having been silent compared to the others on the other side of the park. The man's grin faded, and his eyes went wide and frightened as he saw that the ones coming from the trees were many.

"Fuck!" Another man went down with a large slump as he tried to grapple for something to help him, only succeeding in grabbing the man in front of him, bringing him down as well. They both screamed as teeth ripped at their flesh, their screams dying into the wind as it howled around them. The screeches and screams of the undead around them were deafening, but the screams of his men dying were too loud. Too loud. They were all dying.

"Columbus!" Tallahassee watched as the men around him scattered, firing at random, their faces stricken with fear. Seeing as there were fewer people trying to hold him back, Tallahassee let his fury loose, winding forward and letting his elbow crack into the man's nose behind him. With that man gone, he wrenched his other arm out of its hold, letting his fist slam into the face of the guy holding him. He may have not had many weapons, but he did have his fists.

Lunging forward, Tallahassee reached down in one swift moment, grabbing a random gun he saw a man drop as he was being eaten, and surged forward with power he wasn't sure he possessed. That man was still holding his Columbus, throwing him around like a rag doll, yelling to all his men that were scattering around like roaches. His vision went red, and all he could think about was putting a bullet into that man's head, and holding Columbus in his arms again.

"Fuck!" The man abandoned his hold on Columbus's neck, growling and whipping around as he aimed his weapon at an approaching zombie, his teeth grinding together. He heard the boy slam to the ground, grunting at the feel of the cold ground against him. The man stepped over the boy's body, making sure that none of the living dead would get close to him. He wasn't stupid enough to let their sacrifice get eaten before they could do the ritual.

Tallahassee saw the man step over Columbus's body, shooting zombies as he did. He couldn't believe that man had the gall, to attack Columbus and then without a second thought, protect him from the onslaught of zombies coming for them. Him and his ski mask, his bullet proof vest, his black cargo pants, his stupid cloves. What kind of man would wear gloves in the middle of the summer?

"Get the fuck off him!" Tallahassee growled, tilting his body to the side and slamming it into the masked man, watching as his back took the brunt of the blow. Stumbling to keep himself up, Tallahassee spat at the man on the ground, giving one last glare before falling to his knees.

Taking one last look at the two, he grinned with bloodied teeth, "I'll be back. Don't forget that, boy. I'll be back."

Tallahassee lifted Columbus up into his arms carefully, pulling him and holding him to his chest, whispering something to the boy as he started to come around. Only sparing the masked man a glance as he saw his retreating form, Tallahassee lifted Columbus up into his arms, hefting and holding the boy as tight as he could. He was much too skinny, if he had anything to say about it, but that conversation would have to wait for later.

"Tallahassee!" There was the comforting sound of a revving engine, and there was a spray of dirt as Wichita slid the car into a stop in front of them, taking out quite a few of the zombies as she did so. With his boy in his arms, held as tightly as deemed safe, Tallahassee jumped into the back of the car, making sure to keep the boy in his lap as Wichita tore down the grass, leaving the zombies and surviving cult members in the dust.

Little rock leaned over the front seat, her brows drawing together in unhidden worry, "Is he okay? Did he get bit?"

Tallahassee shook his head, "Nah, he's okay. Pistol whipped, but not hard enough to get a concussion."

"Tall." Wichita sighed and fingered the steering wheel in nervous anxiety, "He said he'd be back. He said he'd be back for Columbus."

"I know…I know."

**-**

**I'm not too proud of this, but I like it. It's not one of my better ones, but I strangely like how it turned out. Oh, and the line in the italics is sort of a shadowing to another story, 100 by Gooooodpie. She wrote a story sort of inspired by a line in Hair, and I thought it was very good!  
**


	5. Bitten

Title: Bitten

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

* * *

"_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…"_

It had started out a normal day, one that they had expected. They were bordering on the eastern coast, heading from Tallahassee's town up and they planned to make it to Philly eventually. Wichita wanted Little Rock to see the liberty bell, something about keeping up with history, but Columbus saw no point in it seeing that no one was going to remember history in about twenty years.

"_Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop…."_

They were driving, Wichita and Little Rock in the back, pointing out things on the coast that they saw, commenting on how beautiful the day was, noticing that there seemed to be a little bit less blood coating the sand. Tallahassee drove, as he knew the terrain a bit better than the other three, and Columbus was sitting next to him, idly fiddling with his shirt string. His heart was warming to the weather outside, and the fact that Tallahassee was in a good mood only added to the all around good feeling of this day.

"_Stop bleeding. Fuck, stop bleeding. Fuck, fuck, fuck, stop bleeding…"_

Glancing over sheepishly, Columbus dipped his head, before looking forward again, a flush spreading over his face. Glancing over again, he slowly reached over, placing his hand carefully into the middle of the seats. He gulped, his heart pounding. It wasn't until he felt a soft calloused hand cover his and lace their fingers together that he let the smile spread.

"_No, no, no, no, no. Where the fuck ARE you?! No, stop bleeding. Stop. Stop!"_

It hadn't been too long since Tallahassee and he had started going steady, as much as going steady meant in Zombieland. Going steady in Zombieland meant that they were holding hands in the front of the car, making out in the back seat when the girls ran on a bathroom break, having a room together when they stopped, and protecting each other's asses while staring at them. If anyone, he'd thought he'd be doing that with Wichita, but fate had a funny way of throwing things in your face. First, Zombieland; second, going out with a gun-toting guy from Florida.

"_Okay, okay, okay. Calm down. Fuck. This isn't happening. Fuck. Stop. Calm down…"_

Gun-toting guy from Florida who just so happened to love Twinkies. Columbus didn't understand what about the cream filled creations that the man loved so much, but it was as if this infatuation, this obsession, this _complex _for Twinkies was overtaking the man's life. Columbus would never think that he would – no, _could – _have an invariable jealousy for a food product, but when Tallahassee decided to turn the car into a local minimart, one thing on his mind, Columbus felt his heart race and his eyes turn green. Not another damn Twinkie hunt.

"_Fuck! God damn it! Fuck…fuck…fuck…come back! Fuck! I need help!"_

Upon inspection of the minimart, the figured out that it, indeed, was abandoned. Well, as abandoned as a minimart in Zombieland could be. They were greeted with the usual onslaught of undead, the ones here wearing surfer shorts and bikinis, something Tallahassee didn't pass up the chance to comment on. The smirk was on his face again as he saw the blush rise on his little Columbus's cheeks, turning and making his way down the long minimart isle, making sure to look around and know exactly what isle he was supposed to go down. It had been nearly three weeks since he'd dined on a Twinkie, and he was really hankering for another. It wouldn't be too long before they all expired, and he wanted to indulge himself on as many as he could before it was too late.

"_Damn, fuck….fu…"_

"Tallahassee!" Columbus shot at the lumbering form in front of him, gasping and wheezing with his lost breath. He'd heard various gunshots from across the store, and his heart wrenched as he heard the familiar yell from the other man, but something that held much more…pain.

"Tallahassee!" Columbus slammed the butt of his gun against the face of a female zombie, wincing as her blood sprayed across the front of his shirt, "Tallahassee! Answer me! Tallahassee!"

He sprinted as quickly as he could, nearly slipping on puddles of blood splattering the ground. He couldn't believe it; those screams were nothing that he'd heard before. The gunshots were frantic, the screaming stopped his heart, and the zombie moans got louder and louder.

"_No…No…don't look at me…fuck, please…don't look at me…."_

Skidding to a stop in front of the isle, Columbus raised his shot gun and fired at the zombie standing over his Tallahassee, his teeth grinding together as he heard that familiar squelch. He ran up, putting an extra bullet in the things brain, trying to remember his rules. It was hard, when he saw that man lying on the ground, his gun lying about ten feet away from him.

Getting another freak in the head, he jumped over a fallen body in one swift movement, before skidding to a stop in front of the other, taking in the bloody leather jacket, the bloody shirt, the bloody pants…goddamn it, everything was covered in blood.

Usually Columbus was very good when it came to keeping himself cool in situations with blood, but he felt himself gag.

"_Columbus…?"_

"I'm here, Tallahassee." Columbus lowered his shaky hands to the other's face, trying to hold back his tears as he pressed his palms to the others cheeks, watching those eyes light with recognition. Tallahassee chuckled a bit before choking on the blood building up his throat, and that laugh morphed into a choke.

"Fuck, I'm a mess." Tallahassee groaned, his arms lying limply at his side, his head lying in its own puddle of blood, "Fucker got me from the isle…"

Columbus choked again, but this time it wasn't from the blood, but from the tears. They were already travelling down his cheeks and spilling onto his friend's shoulders. His hands were pressing into Tallahassee's cheeks, and his body was slumping against the other, his face pressing against the other's neck, "No, no, no, Tallahassee. You can't do this to me. Tallahassee."

A hand ran itself through his hair, and Columbus turned his head towards it, pressing a soft kiss into the palm, allowing it to travel his cheek and rub against his neck.

"Fuck, don't look like that." Tallahassee's voice was soft and quiet, a volume that Columbus had never heard from the other, "I'm a stupid fucker, ain't I?"

Columbus chuckled, his laugher soggy with tears, as he reached down and pressed a wet kiss to the other's cheek, "For leaving me alone, yeah, you're a stupid fucker."

The hand on the back of his neck softened, and Columbus didn't want himself to look. He couldn't. He knew how quickly the virus acted, and if you were bitten, it was a matter of seconds before you were up and running again. He couldn't…he couldn't…

"I'm sorry…" Tallahassee gulped again, before turning his head and softly brushing his lips against Columbus's cheek, "You got your gun?"

"Tallahassee…" Columbus shook his head, turning and feverishly pressing kiss after kiss to the other's face, "No…this isn't happening. Fuck, you'll be fine…fuck."

"No, I won't." Tallahassee let out another nervous breath, before catching the other's lips in a frenzied kiss, pressing his eyes closed and savoring the feel of the other against him. Releasing Columbus, he made sure to look in his eyes, "now, do you have your fucking gun?"

Columbus nodded, his face twisting with agony as he let out a sob, pressing his body against the others, "yeah…yeah…"

"Good." Tallahassee sighed yet again, before lifting his weak arms and placing them on Columbus's shoulders, trying as hard as he could to push the other away, he was just so goddamn weak, "Now, get the hell away from me."

"No, Tallahassee…" Columbus let himself be pushed away, his tears growing more and more, his hands staying gripped against the other, "No, please. No."

"Get the fuck away from me!" Tallahassee yelled, his body slumping against the ground as he watched the other raise himself up, but keeping his arms on the other. Tallahassee knew he'd get the boy no further from him.

His blue eyes filled with their own tears, and he grabbed the other's hand with a fevered desperation, with his final words, "I love you."

Columbus gagged and choked, sobbing against the other's hand as he watched the light fade from the other's eyes. Tallahassee's head slumped against the ground, and his hand went limp in Columbus's.

"No…" Columbus held that hand tighter, even though he knew what would happen in a matter of minutes, "Tallahassee…."

"_No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening." _

Letting go of the hand, Columbus reached over and pressed one last kiss on the man's brow, before standing on uneven legs. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks, but he knew what would happen. He knew…Stepping away, Columbus gulped; his breath shuddered as he tried to keep his feet even, and to keep the gun trained on the other.

He didn't know if he could do it when the time came.

He clenched his eyes closed, trying to keep his breath even.

"_Please, don't let this be happening. Please."_

When the first shuffle of feet came, Columbus kept his eyes clenched tightly closed. He heard the low, throaty moan, and Columbus recognized the voice. Even in death, Columbus could remember that voice anywhere. Even…even when riddled with something that was inhuman, that voice couldn't be mistaken for anyone other than Tallahassee.

"_Please…"_

Opening his eyes slowly, Columbus caught those dead eyes….

"_Tallahassee…"_

"Tallahassee…"

* * *

The scream died on his lips as his eyes flew open, his chest heaving with each breath he took, his hands so tight on the sheets around him that his knuckles were numb.

It was cold, so cold that Columbus could almost feel the ice digging into his bones, but it was nothing compared to the ice in his mind. Tears were drying on his cheeks, only to be renewed by fresh ones. Sobs were still being torn from his lungs, and he realized a moment later that he was trembling…so hard that he couldn't push himself up into a seated position for a couple minutes. When he managed to get himself up, he glanced around, hoping to see that gun-toting boyfriend of his, but he didn't see anything. Only the darkness of the room around him and the cold, chill air hitting his skin.

His heart was pounding against his ribcage, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the tears to stop. He rubbed vigorously at his eyes, but every time he closed them, he saw that bloody body, that dead face, and it'd bring on a whole new wave of tears. He hadn't cried his hard in years.

Flinging back the covers of the bed he'd been sleeping on, he swing his legs over the side, making up his mind to find Tallahassee, as quickly as physically possible. The man was on watch duty now, with Wichita, while he and Little Rock slept. He'd be downstairs.

Making it to the top of the stairs in a matter of seconds, ignoring the growing numbness in his limbs. Every time he thought about his boyfriend, his heart pounded harder, and his whole body felt as if it would shut down. The dream…it had been so real. He couldn't believe that something like that would happen, Tallahassee wouldn't be that stupid, but he couldn't get that look out of his head. It felt so real.

Bringing his hand up to viciously rub at his eyes, he made his feet move faster, just in order to see that face. To see the eyes, the look of life in them, the life and vitality in that body that he'd become used to. Columbus chuckled, how much had he come to depend on Tallahassee? How much had he come to trust him…love him? Even a dream was enough to make him quiver, cry, and sob like a little kid.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he nearly ran into Wichita as she was exiting the kitchen, a glass of water and a sandwich in her hand. His name died on her lips as she saw how pathetic he must've looked, how stupid he must've looked…and she merely smiled softly, tilting her head to the side and giving him a knowing look, "You want to be left alone?"

He didn't have the words to thank her. He just nodded, and took witness as she made her way up the stairs to the room her sister was sleeping in, rather than heading back into the living room. He didn't have time to watch her, nor thank her, as he nearly sprinted to the living room, frantically searching for that man he knew so well.

And his heart nearly stopped.

He was…Columbus couldn't even form the words. He couldn't believe that in his life he'd ever classify another man as beautiful, but Columbus couldn't get that word out of his head. Tallahassee was truly beautiful sitting there on the dusty old couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table as he watched a movie that Columbus didn't recognize. A fresh wave of tears started on Columbus's face, but this time ones of happiness, as he quickly made his way over to the other man.

"Columbus?" Tallahassee noticed something was up when the boy, instead of sitting with him, nearly tackled him, already getting his shirt wet with tears. A fresh pang of worry went through the man as he instinctually wrapped his arms tightly around Columbus, pulling the boy into a more comfortable position on his lap, "What the hell is wrong? Columbus?"

Columbus's shoulders shook as he tried in vain to push himself closer to Tallahassee, pushing the man back until he was leaning against the armrest of the couch, Columbus lying completely on top of him. Not trusting himself to answer, he just shook his head, trying to get as much feel of the other man as he could. All he could remember was the look as Tallahassee died under his hands, and he needed to remove that horrible memory with the warm and soft feel of the other's skin.

"Columbus?" Tallahassee carefully took the boy's chin in his hand, lifting it until he could get the other to look at him. His heart panged as he saw the red around Columbus's eyes, and he didn't even have to think about it as he reached in and carefully laid kiss after kiss under the boy's eyes, "Now, tell me what the hell is freaking you out."

Columbus gulped, brushing his lips against Tallahassee's cheek, trying to gain as much contact as he could, "You…You died. We were….w-we were in some kind of fucking store…and you…y-y-you were at..att..you died. You got back up and…and…"

Tallahassee sighed, but despite everything, he felt a small smile grow on his face. Don't get him wrong, he hated seeing his little Columbus in this much pain, but something about it made his heart warm. The mere fact that Columbus was crying this hard over his death, that a dream of his death could make the boy this distraught. It made his old, dry, and probably broken heart swell.

It was something he hadn't felt since Buck.

"Hey…" Tallahassee tilted his boy's face up again, pressing a soft kiss to those damp lips, trying to reassure the other that way, "You know that will never happen."

Columbus nodded, kissing the other harder before pulling back and taking a deep breath, "I know that…but…It just seemed so real. I feel stupid…but I just…"

Tallahassee gently brushed the back of Columbus's neck, before pulling the other down into a tight and secure embrace, his heart pounding. How much had this boy affected him? It had been no more than a couple months ago that he saw the nervous and shaky boy on the side of the highway, and he didn't know what compelled him to pick the boy up. Over the days that they'd spent together, the boy grew and weaseled himself into Tallahassee's heart, before the man could even comprehend it. Before Tallahassee knew it, Columbus was snuggling up to him in the back seats, holding his hand, and blushing like a school girl every time they kissed.

Tallahassee didn't even know something like this could happen. How could he grow to trust this boy…to love him, so much?

"I…" Columbus gulped, his breath evening out and his tears finally slowing to a stop, "I know you said that this was going to be nothing…that this relationship of ours was nothing…"

Tallahassee wanted to stop him. When he'd said those words, the raging feeling of denial had been coursing through his veins. Before he grew to know the boy, the first time they'd draw together in something that wasn't merely friendship he'd freaked. He was regretting ever saying anything like that to Columbus. Their relationship wasn't nothing.

"But…" Columbus looked up and leaned heavily on the man, fiddling with the string of his sweater, "I think…I think I love you."

Tallahassee's voice caught in his throat, and his hands tightened on the other. Columbus…had he really said what he thought he said? It was…Tallahassee couldn't believe it. If anything, it was too soon. But still, even as the waves of disbelief went through him, he realized that his heart was aching. His lungs were yelling at him to say something back. In the back of his mind, he knew that it was the right thing to do…but…

"Columbus…" Tallahassee looked down at the other, and opened his mouth to get ready to say those words, those words that he'd been afraid of his whole life. He stopped.

Soft breaths escaped Columbus as sleep finally overtook him, clutching as hard as he could to Tallahassee's shirt. Tallahassee sighed softly, pulling the boy closer and taking a blanket off the back of the couch, he placed it over the boy.

He'd lost his chance this time, and he'd regret that for a while, but the boy would know. He'd know eventually. Tallahassee was sure of that.

* * *

**I really, really, really like how this turned out, if I do say so myself. **


	6. The Journal, Entries 5 to 9

Title: The Journal, Entries 5 - 9

Characters/Pairing: Unnamed Little Girl

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me….well; The Journal does…and so does Unnamed Little Girl.

* * *

January 6th, 2010

Cristy still wasn't at school today, but when I asked momma, she said that sometimes kids got so sick that they had to stay away from school for a whole week! I didn't believe her, but Cristy has been gone for two whole days, after Christmas break, even! Momma said it was okay, so I believe her. I love momma.

Terrance got home from school today and he had a black eye, and when I asked him about it, he got all mad and said that it wasn't any of my business. High school sounds scary, and with the bruises Terrance comes home with all the time, it must be scary!

* * *

January 7th, 2010

Daddy came over today, and I was trying to tell mom that he was faking it. He looked fine, and he even took me to the park today, like he said that he would before. I love daddy. I don't get to see him a lot, but he said that after April, he'd be seeing me a whole lot!

Momma took me to the store today because she said that I needed some new school clothes. I only got a pair of shoes that had weird red tape on them and a old shirt. But it's okay, because Terrance only got a pair of pants! Terrance was nicer to me today, and he even bought me an ice cream. He tells me that he doesn't like me, but I love Terrance.

* * *

January 8th, 2010

Momma took me to Cristy's house today, to see if she was okay. We went to the store and bought a candy bar for her, but when we got to the door, her mom didn't look that good either. She said something about Cristy being sick, and she wouldn't let us in to see her, so I gave the chocolate bar to her mom to give to Cristy. She didn't smile.

Momma said that maybe they should go see the doctor, but I was just listening to her talk to Aunt Ella, so I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation. I asked momma later if they were really sick. Momma said they were, and that maybe it was good that Cristy wasn't coming to school, because she didn't want me to get sick either. I really love momma.

* * *

January 9th, 2010

Terrance came home today with more bruises, and he even let me ask him about them. He doesn't seem so mean anymore, and he said that it was because he had finally given up. I told him that giving up wasn't good, but he just laughed and me and told me to go away. I don't know what Terrance was giving up from, but I really don't want to go to high school if it will give me that many bruises.

Momma said that Terrance is having some trouble at school, and later when I listened to them in the kitchen, he said that he had bullies. He wasn't using that word, but that's sure what it sounded like. I don't like bullies, and if I were any bigger, I'd sure go and turn them into their principal. Because I love Terrance, even though he may not like me all that much.

* * *

January 10th, 2010

There was a newscast on tonight that momma didn't want me to watch, so I went out of the room. I looked though the doorway and I heard her whispering to Terrance, but she changed the channel, so I didn't think it was anything bad. Cristy didn't come to school today, and the teacher was telling us that nothing bad was going to happen. I don't get why she was telling the class that, if only Cristy was sick. Well, Cristy and Paul…and Ian wasn't sitting next to me like usual because he'd usually poke me on the arm until I gave him a pencil.

Otis was gone too. And Jeff.


	7. Father of Mine

Title: Father of Mine

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee, Buck, and Colette.**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, except Colette, but even in a sense she doesn't belong to me.

* * *

"Damn." She was biting at her nails again. He hated it when she did that. She'd always get them right down to the nubs and then they'd get to bleeding. He remembered that back from when he actually dated her.

She glanced at him with hard eyes, "Well, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Tallahassee shrugged, his shoulders aching after a long day at work, "It's your fucking kid."

"Have you not been listening to me?" She threw her arms about, her eyes flaring with anger, "It's your fucking kid, too!"

Tallahassee chose not to look at her, but would rather look at the cold unfeeling floor of the hospital. Its shining surface was more comfort than she was. He knew he never liked her, "Colette…"

"Don't you _Colette _me." She crossed her arms, her fingers itching for a cigarette that she knew she couldn't have within these walls. She was beautiful, that was true, but her habits were something that Tallahassee didn't like. He'd tried to get her to quit, while they were dating, but she was never the one to listen to anyone but the raging monster that she liked to call her mind.

"Then why did you call me here?" Tallahassee followed her example by crossing his arms. He'd never liked hospitals, but he just couldn't refuse her when she called him at ten o' clock at night yelling something about how it was an emergency.

Colette shuffled, before glancing up with tears forming in her eyes. They didn't look right to Tallahassee, because he'd never seen the girl cry.

They'd been together, once upon a time. It'd been a little bit over nine months ago, and they'd only stayed together for a week before she left him with half of his money and most of his pride. He didn't think that he'd ever see her again, but lo and behold, here she was announcing that her kid was his. He couldn't handle this.

"I can't fucking take care of him!" Colette let her hand fly up to her mouth again, chewing at her fingernails, "I thought I could. I didn't want to kill him; I know my mom would kill me for that. But…But…I can't!"

Tallahassee just looked at her, his eyes wide and shining in disbelief, "And, what? You expect me to take him? I can't do that! I can barely provide for myself as it is, after you left me nearly ten thousand dollars in debt!"

Colette's eyes shined, her body going rigid, "So, what do you want to do? You want to leave your first, and probably only, son to the foster system? No one wants some druggie's kid! No one will take him!"

Tallahassee ground his teeth together, before looking away, "He's not going in the system."

"And I'm not taking him." Colette lowered her fingers after they started to bleed, not even noticing the sharp pain, "you're taking him, it's that or the system. I can't take him. My life is finally going in the direction I want. I got a gig, and I'm meeting with the agency."

"You fucking thing you're going anywhere?" Tallahassee whipped around, glaring at the door as he tried to process what she was trying to say, "You're never going to get anywhere, Colette."

"At least I can fucking try!" She sounded angry, her voice raising another octave, her feet shuffling against the ground, "I can't do that with a fucking kid!"

There was a soft click as Tallahassee opened his mouth to yell back, and the door swung open, revealing a doctor that Tallahassee didn't bother to say hi to. The doctor was saying something to Colette, and she answered in a softer voice, but Tallahassee didn't bother to listen.

"You're going to see him." She was talking to him again, he knew that, "You'll see him, then you'll decide."

"You're not going to be here when I finish looking at him." Tallahassee looked back at her, but before he knew it, he was following the doctor down the hall, with Colette half way across the state, probably. He wasn't going to keep the stupid kid. Screw the kid, he couldn't deal with it. He could barely take care of himself, not to mention a stupid kid that he barely figured out was his.

He was standing outside the large window, the room inside it holding thirty maybe more kids, all of them screaming. Tallahassee couldn't take it. He especially couldn't take the kid. Crying got on his nerves, and he really liked to sleep at night, it was one of his favorite pastimes, even. The doctor didn't like him, he could tell from the way the man looked back at him as he went to get his kid.

Bradley. What the hell name was that? Why did Colette have to fucking name the kid before she left? She wouldn't even let him have that. Anger burned deep in his chest, but he knew that he couldn't dwell on it. He'd just tell the doctor that he didn't want the kid, tell the doctor that the mom was already gone, tell the doctor that no one wanted the kid. Hopefully _Bradley _would end up somewhere nice.

Shuffling on his feet again, he waited as the large door opened, the one that led to the room that all the _fucking screamers_ were being kept in. Wincing as the volume increased momentarily, the doctor walked out, holding a bundle of blankets that looked too small for Tallahassee's liking. _No_ Tallahassee shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head, _I'm not going to get attached to the little thing. I'm not. It'll be just another reminder of how screwed up I am._

"Your son." The doctor looked reluctant to hand over the child, and he didn't, to tell the truth. He merely stood there, holding the child out but not willing to hand him over to the brutish-looking man. He was a doctor, and he couldn't do anything that would potentially harm his patients. Handing small children over to very angry looking men probably fell into that category.

Tallahassee took one look at the kid before scoffing away, turning toward the window again, only seeing Colette in that stupid little face. He wasn't one to unintentionally hate children, but this stupid kid took a place in his heart, and he instantly didn't like him. Crossing his arms, he only let himself look back at the doctor once more before turning around and making his way back toward the main entrance hall of the hospital, "I don't care. Put him up for adoption or something."

He was quite positive the doctor had a relieved smile on his face.

The sun shone painfully on his face as he looked out toward the sky, taking in a deep breath of beautiful air as he tried to get the events of today out of his mind. He didn't want a fucking kid, and it was good that he didn't feel anything for the boy. All he hoped was that the kid got a good family, not one of those shit-ass foster families in the movies.

Tallahassee was about to walk back to his truck, having to be back to work in about thirty minutes, when something caught in his mind. Stopping in his tracks and watching the people around him walk past, he looked back up at the sky and squinted at it, his fingers fiddling in his pockets as he pondered. But…what if they didn't feed him? What if..

"Shit." Tallahassee shook his head harshly, having to reach up and pull the neck of his shirt down a bit, his own clothing becoming too stuffy. He couldn't even be thinking about it. Fuck that idea, he couldn't think about that stupid kid, that stupid name, those stupid eyes.

He didn't want to admit it to himself that he really did see himself in those eyes. And that wispy blond hair was definitely a trait he had when he was a kid, and that nose. That was his nose, not freaking Colette's. Nothing about that kid was Colette. Those hands that had reached out to him weren't Colette's. That bright smile, something he'd never seen on Colette, definitely wasn't hers. Those eyes. Nothing about the kid was her.

Nothing.

"Double fuck it to hell!" Tallahassee swore, his teeth clenching as he looked back toward the hospital, trying to deny it to himself. But try as he might…

That kid was his.

* * *

"_Oh, my! What a charming child! What is his name?"_

"_Bra…Buck. His name is Buck."_


	8. Occult, Part 2

Title: Occult, Part 2

Characters/Pairing: Tallahassee/Columbus

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, except for Albuquerque.

* * *

Albuquerque, New Mexico wasn't a harsh man by nature; living for the most part in the better area of town taught him that. He'd been mild-mannered most of his life, growing up with a fairly good life and a fairly good job. He'd been told many a time that he would grow up to be something, grow up to be something great. He believed them until January 25th, 2010.

There had been a news broadcast in his office, and he hadn't really paid attention to it, seeing as he left the television running as something to listen to. More like background noise. If he had listened, he would have known to evacuate the building. He wasn't used to such threats, so something of those standards was something he wasn't used to.

It wasn't until he heard the screaming that he actually looked up from his files, his pen poised above where he was getting ready to sign. It was a big redevelopment program, something he'd been waiting forever for. He'd specifically told no one to bother him today, as long as he was going through the final confirmations and signing the final documents. Not today.

So Albuquerque looked up, and forever, since that day, he wished he hadn't.

"Boss!"

The man jumped, looking over at the other trying to gain his attention. Shaking his head, he sighed and reached a hand up, taking off his mask in one fluid motion, "What is it, Two?"

Two blushed yet again, still not used to seeing the unrivalled beauty of his boss. It wasn't every day (especially these days) that you saw something with such pure beauty, something that could cancel out the ugliness of the world today. Too bad the boss was bat-shit crazy.

"Most of our men went down in sector 12." The man glanced around nervously, trying not to make eye contact, the boss really didn't like eye contact, "We regrouped to sector 14, but we're still under numbered. Seven is taking care of all the men that were bitten."

"How many?" Albuquerque wrung at the mask in his hands, looking down at the ground, finding a particular blood stain on the grass very interesting, "How many were killed by those things?"

"We started with thirty." The man gulped again, "Now we have…ten."

Albuquerque just laughed, his face contorting into something that made his once beautiful face very ugly, "Then we have enough. We need to get him back. He was…he was the one we needed."

"Sir?" The boss had a very strange look on his face. To tell the truth, Two really didn't like talking to the boss, even if he was the second in command, of sorts. He didn't know the man nearly at all, and it was always unnerving listening to him talk. It was always as if his mind was somewhere else, and his voice was very far away. His eyes would get this look, and if you were around him and said one wrong thing, he would literally kill you, second in command or not.

Two was the third second in command since the beginning of the Undead World, so he didn't want to take his chances.

"He smelled…" Albuquerque's lips pulled up over his teeth and he smiled, a wicked, ugly smile, "He smell wonderful, Two. Have you ever smelt anything so wonderful?"

* * *

When Columbus came to his senses, he was warm and comfortable, something he certainly liked feeling right when he woke up. Feeling the soft pressure of blankets (or maybe it was a jacket) over his shoulders, he was pressed against something that was definitely familiar. Smiling to himself, he snuggled (_"Don't say snuggle! God, I already let you call me your damn boyfriend, what more do you want?") _closer to the other's warmth, feeling that arm around him tighten.

"You have a good sleep?" That rough voice was enough to make him open his eyes and look up. Columbus smiled as he saw Tallahassee looking down at him, a playful smirk on his face, "You sleep like a log."

"What happened?" Columbus raised a tired arm and rubbed at his eyes, before letting out a loud yawn, "Did that creepy guy get eaten?"

"Unfortunately, no." Tallahassee didn't mention anything about the man saying he'd be back. He didn't feel that it was something that needed to be said, because if Tallahassee even saw him again, the guy would get a bullet in the brain, "But they're gone. We're headed out of town and we're going to stop at the nearest clear house."

"Awesome." Columbus rolled his eyes and leaned back, stretching his arms out in front of him with a groan, "anything interesting happen while I was out, or did I sleep through a couple hours of nothing."

"Let's go with nothing." Tallahassee let the boy slide off his lap and onto the seat next to him.

Columbus nodded, before rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck, gaining a sigh from his lips, "Fucking creepy guy, though. Kept smelling me."

* * *

"Boss…" Two looked more nervous than before, only seeing the back of his boss as he walked into the safe house. He had good news for the other, but any situation in which he has to talk to the other was a bad one. Being second in command, he always got the short stick to talk to the boss. He hated it.

Albuquerque only tilted his head to the side, his mouth twitching to smile again. The process of relaying ones memories in their own mind was invigorating, and he really didn't want to be interrupted. He was trying to remember when exactly he went crazy, but he couldn't really pin the day. It might've been a couple days after the zombie attacks started. Hmm…curious.

"What is it, Two?" Albuquerque turned around to look at the man, his eyes wild as he stared at him. He could see the man's fear, but he didn't care. He just wanted the man to leave; he wanted to get back to his curious memories. They were so strange, even to him.

"One of our members, Ten, he followed the chosen. They stopped at an abandoned farm not more than ten miles from here." Two stuck his hands in his pockets, digging them down as far as he could, picking at the hem of the pocket seam, "we could have him by nightfall."

"No, today is not the day." Albuquerque rolled his eyes around the room, before landing them on Two, making the man jump, "The deities have chosen that tomorrow shall be the sacrificial day. We shall let him have his night, but by noon tomorrow, we shall have him. I wish to taste that fragrance again. "

Two scowled, wishing to step back through that door and never have to look at the Boss again. That guy was fucking crazy.

* * *

"Now, stay in the car."

Columbus didn't like those words. He knew he still had a headache, and Tallahassee was probably the most protective boyfriend _ever, _but that didn't mean he had to stay in the freaking car. Staying in the car meant that the other three thought he was incompetent.

"We don't think you're incompetent."

They thought he was weak.

"You're not weak."

They thought he wasn't strong enough to go with them on the check through of the house.

"No, you still have a headache and can't aim a gun without your hand shaking." Tallahassee rolled his eyes as he patted the side of his boy's head, trying to wipe that pout of Columbus's face, "Now, stop looking like that and we'll be right back. Little Rock is keeping watch."

"Oh, great, I've got a thirteen year old watching after me." Columbus continued to cross his arms, his pout still there although he'd deny it. He didn't like people thinking that he was some kind of weakling that needed looking after. Unless it was Tallahassee, he didn't like being protected. Especially in a situation like this. It just didn't sit well with him.

Little Rock laughed from her seat in the front, "thanks, that means a lot."

"Now." Tallahassee leaned in and gave his boyfriend an apologetic kiss; right on the corner of his lips, where he knew Columbus liked it. For the added comfort, he even raised his hand and gently pushed some of the hair out of Columbus's face, setting it right in its place behind his ear. He wasn't one for stupid corny gestures, but when it came to people he loved, he'd be willing.

It was also very satisfying to see Columbus melt to putty in his hands.

"Be careful." Columbus crossed his arms again, and although he hadn't completely lost his pout, he was still a bit more okay with Tallahassee and Wichita going and staking out the house by themselves. It was only a small barn house, and it wasn't like the others were going to check out the barn itself, and Columbus would be able to help nail up the boards to safety proof the house, and he was getting kind of tired and….but damn it, he wanted to help!

"Don't get your panties in a bunch." Little Rock leaned her elbows on the back of the front seat, her shotgun lying on the seat next to her, "They'll be back in a minute."

Columbus nodded, fingering the strings of his hoodie as he leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window, sighing as it calmed his oncoming headache. He knew that he'd be no help when it came to combating zombies, but he just didn't want to feel so useless against everything.

"Hey…" Little Rock leaned forward, her hand reaching out to press against her friend's knee, her brows drawing together, "Don't feel too bad about it. You're a very valuable member of our team."

Columbus chuckled, his eyes lighting with mirth as he shifted to look at her, "Thank you, it means a lot coming from a teenager."

"Hey, I tried." Little Rock couldn't hold back the smile that formed on her face as she looked at the laughing face of the other, "By the way, what did that dude say to you?"

"Huh?" Columbus sat up, looking at her with a confused look as he brought the string up to his mouth, "Who?"

"That crazy cult guy." She leaned forward, her mouth quirking in something that could have been described as a smirk, "That creepy dude."

"Oh, mask guy?" Columbus rolled his eyes, looking back out the window as he suddenly lost interest in the conversation. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to the girl, but he'd rather stay off that subject. The thought of that guy still creeped him out, and he'd rather not remember as the other guy practically moaned as he sniffed him. Truth be told, there's only one person he'd want to make moan… Columbus's face erupted in a blush at the thought and he promptly hid his face in his hands, trying to get the dirty thoughts from his mind.

"God, you are so transparent." Little Rock laughed at herself, leaning her chin on her hands as she looked at the other, enjoying every minute of the other's embarrassment, "Thinkin' about Tallahassee?"

"Shut up." Columbus moved and pushed his face into the class, trying in vain to cool his face down.

Little Rock started laughing out loud, bringing her hand to try and quell her laughter. The boy _was _transparent. But that was what Little Rock liked about Columbus. He was always so easy to see through, and you didn't need to think deeply while talking to him. He was always right out in the open, and he didn't find anything wrong about himself like so much of the world. He was always honest with himself, and now that he was actually going steady with Tallahassee, she saw so much more of him than when he was striving for his sister. He truly wore his heart on his sleeve with the other man.

Columbus was ready to tell her to shut up again, her name on his lips and the try at an insult following, but her sudden abrupt silence made him jump and look up at her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with uncovered fear, her hands gripping her shotgun. His brow drew in confusion, and he slowly got to his knees, looking over the back seat and seeing through the back window of the car.

Oh, shit.

Zombies, he could deal with. Zombies were easy. Zombie's were down with a shot to the head and a quick double tap. But this? No. The ten men making their way to the car were much more terrifying than any zombie he'd ever seen. They were walking slowly, something he'd thought he could deal with. They weren't in any rush. What scared him were the guns they were holding.

There was a knock at his window, making him jump and swivel around again, wincing and bringing his hand up to press it against his head. This was doing wonders for his headache.

"Open the window." There was a masked man, his eyes alight with anger as he tapped his gun against the window, "now."

Columbus scrambled backwards, before sparing a glance toward Littler Rock, noticing that her breath had gone shallow and her eyes were wide in terror. He reached a hand up and placed it on her head, trying in vain to cover his fear. He glanced at her, before taking a deep breath, "Get down, okay? Just get down."

"Columbus." Little Rock shook her head, "no."

Columbus met those eyes that were looking through the window, his face contorting into a smirk, "you want in here? You're going to have to fight for it."

Bringing his shotgun in one swift movement, he aimed it at the man, pleased with the shocked look he received at the action. What he didn't expect was the sudden swell of nausea welling up in his chest, and his hands were shaking more than usual. Tallahassee was right, he couldn't aim for shit today.

There was a large crash behind his head, and he couldn't even recognize the sound before there was a hand grabbing around the neck, cutting off his breath quicker than he thought possible. He heard someone yelling his name through the haze, and the gun was wrenched out of his hand. As they dragged him painfully through the window, he had the feeling the glass dragging painfully against his back, making him yell in pain. His head was swimming, and he couldn't get his hands to stop shaking as he tried to grapple at the arms around him.

"Little Rock! Stay in the car!" He knew that she would be coming out after him, her gun blazing, but he couldn't let her do that. Groaning while taking a book out of the zombie's book, he sunk his teeth into the arm in front of him. He'd do anything if it meant he didn't have to go back to that man, the man that fucking smelt him. Struggling again, ignoring the winding pain in his back and head.

"Shut the fuck up, you bitch!" There was another blinding pain as he was struck across the head, making him reel and his body go limp. His last thought, right before he passed out and let his body be pulled who knows where, was something along the lines of why he kept getting struck across the head, and the hopes that Little Rock would please, please be okay.


	9. The Journal, Entries 10 to 14

Title: The Journal, Entries 10 - 14

Characters/Pairing: Unnamed Little Girl

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me….well; The Journal does…and so does Unnamed Little Girl.

* * *

January 11th, 2010

Momma said that we had to go stay at Aunt Ella's. It was only going to be for a while, she told me, but I'm still scared. We don't go stay at Aunt Ella's if something bad is going to happen, or if it's near Christmas. But it's not near Christmas, so I think it's something bad. Momma said that we didn't have anything to worry about, but she still looked scared.

Terrance didn't come with us because Aunt Ella didn't have a lot of room in her house, and although he could stay at Christmas, that was for a shorter time. So Terrance went to go stay with a friend, and he said that he'd come and get me pretty soon and we'd go get some ice cream. I think momma told him to say that because Terrance is never nice to me, but I really liked that he tried to be nice. He even let me give him a hug. I love Terrance.

Aunt Ella's house smells like dust and old people. That, and Uncle Craig's blue cheese dip for his crackers. Those weren't yummy.

* * *

January 12th, 2010

Aunt Ella didn't want me to go to school today, but I wanted to go to see if Cristy was there. She'd been sick for a while, and I really hoped that she was there today, because I was going to bring my Samantha Doll and we'd play during recess. But when I got to school, only five people were in class, and there was a substitute. Mrs. Teeter, the substitute, said that the teacher and all the missing children were sick. A lot of people are getting sick. I really hope that I don't.

I went after school to see Mrs. Teeter and ask her why all the kids and people around school were getting sick. The halls were less crowded then they were that I've ever seen! She only smiled and told me to ask my momma. I love momma, but I thought that maybe asking her about it would make her upset. She doesn't get upset a lot, but her and Aunt Ella have been talking, and she looked really mad. Mad momma isn't good.

* * *

January 13th, 2010

Uncle Craig had something bad happen to him on his way home from work, and he had to go to the hospital. Momma wouldn't tell me what happened, but when we went to go visit him he didn't look very good. We got him chocolate and flowers, his favorites were ponies, and when I tried to tell him that ponies weren't flowers, he laughed and looked better. When we were about to leave, the nurse came in and started taking the bandage off his arm, and he had a lot of holes on his arm.

Terrance had those kind of holes when the dog next door bit him.

* * *

January 14th, 2010

We went to go see Uncle Craig again today but when we got to the hospital the nurse came in and told us that only Aunt Ella could go and see him, because his condition was getting worse. I was worried, but when Aunt Ella came back, she looked more mad than sad. She told mom something about Uncle Craig attacking her while he was on the bed, and they had to strap him down.

I was scared, because usually Uncle Craig was really nice and didn't attack people, but Aunt Ella said that everything was going to be okay. I got really tired when I got home so momma said that I could go and take a nap while momma talked to Aunt Ella. I woke up when Terrance came in and told me that we could go and get ice cream, and I was really happy, because I was still scared about Uncle Craig attacking Ella.

* * *

January 15th, 2010

Aunt Ella was getting really sick, but momma said that it would be okay. It was nothing to get scared about, because Aunt Ella always gets sick, but I don't even think momma believed herself. She always looks really nervous around Aunt Ella, and momma wants me to go with Terrance more often, even though I can't sleep over at his friend's house. We go to get ice cream a lot, though, so I don't mind.

We were sitting in the ice cream place, and there weren't a lot of people out. The store owner told us that they were going to close the next day, but only for a while. I don't know what's going on, but no one is going to tell me. I know that people are getting sick for a reason and everyone at the same time? They can't do that. I stopped going to school, momma stopped going to work, Aunt Ella stopped going to visit Uncle Craig, and daddy stopped visiting. We were still sitting at the ice cream place when Terrance told me that he'd always protect me. And that he loved me.

What's going on?


	10. The First Encounter

Title: The First Confrontation

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

* * *

It was cold, and Columbus was very aware of that fact. Cold, in Zombieland, wasn't just your run-of-the-mill chill, it was a cold that went deep down into your bones. It was cold, with sharp wind digging into your skin, and the moaning and screeching of the undead adding its own octave to the chill. The cold could send a man to his own insanity. It took a lot to get used to this cold.

Columbus mused on this cold, said screeching and moaning not more than two yards from him as he sat in the middle of an abandoned house, the warm figure of Tallahassee next to him. His arms were wrapped around himself, and he thought that maybe they could find a jacket at a store or something, if they happened to get out any time soon. Somehow, sitting next to the very aggravated gun-wielder didn't help the situation.

"Tallahassee…" His voice cracked and he coughed. He couldn't let the man know that he was barely covering his fear, "Do you think…"

The other man didn't even let him finish, turning to him and placing a warm and comforting hand on his shoulder. Columbus leaned closer, just a bit, desperately seeking out the warmth of the other man, even if his actions were unintentional. Tallahassee looked at the other, his eyes full of something that the other couldn't identify, "No. Don't say anything about that. We're going to be fine, okay?"

Columbus nodded, looking away and down, waiting for the hand to leave. The hand was going to leave, and they warmth would be taken with him, and the silence would return. The cold would return. Columbus was almost frightened.

"Columbus…" The boy looked at Tallahassee, his eyes showing question. Tallahassee cleared his throat, glancing around nervously, then finally back at the other, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you…"

Was the man…no, he couldn't be. He caught the man's eye, nodding nervously when the man didn't go on immediately. Tallahassee looked nervous, his hand clenching and unclenching on Columbus's shoulder. Columbus couldn't even believe it. Was the word 'nervous' even in Tallahassee's vocabulary? Anything the man had a chance of being nervous about was quickly eradicated with the shot of a gun.

"Seeing…Seeing as certain circumstances have made us…in this situation…" He gulped. It was true. They were almost literally trapped, with the two sisters half way across the country by now. It had been an underlying feeling with both Columbus and Tallahassee to not trust the two, but with one flash of those big eyes, and they were caught. If they ever caught up with the sisters again, Tallahassee would have a hard time not putting bullets in their heads. One wrong move, and the sisters were running away in their only mode of transportation with most of their ammunition.

And thus, their situation was born. So much for finding a safe-house that might have a few guns in it.

Tallahassee cleared his throat again, trying not to shift under Columbus's strong curious gaze, "I…"

He couldn't do it. His hand slipped off Columbus's shoulder, and he looked away, leaving the boy with some odd feeling of disappointment. Whatever the man was about to tell him, he knew it was important. Something that could change both of their lives.

He was about to ask the man about it, and he was even opening his mouth to do so, when his lips were suddenly preoccupied.

His body felt as though an explosion was coursing through it, heat coursing through his veins, heart beating faster and faster, as though it were going to skip. With Tallahassee's lips pressed up against his, he lost all recollection of all thought and feeling. He'd never felt this before. It was as though he could get lost and he wouldn't even care. He'd never let himself get lost in a feeling before, the trials of Zombieland being the reasoning, but this was so…involuntary. He couldn't hold back his total loss of all reason and his body growing in passion and everything all at once.

When the older man slowly pulled away, he looked into his eyes, smoldering and pure, so full and…Columbus could get lost. Appreciation, concern, worry…and…could it be? No, Columbus couldn't believe it…Love?

"I like you….a lot." The words slipped out of Columbus's mouth before he could hold them back. His face erupted, a massive blush going over his cheeks, his eyes wide, mind in disbelief. Pulling away quickly, he looked away, not brave enough to look at the other's eyes. He could only imagine the look Tallahassee was wearing, one of disbelief, horror … disgust? How could he have said that!

He was waiting for the rude words, the harsh tone the strange insulting name calling, then the stomping footsteps to go and search for some guns.

"Columbus." His name was spoken, but he didn't look. He was too scared, the look evident in his eyes.

Tallahassee sighed, scooting and closing the distance between them, placing both of his hands on the other's shoulders. Gently grabbing Columbus's chin, soft callused fingers pressing into his skin, turning his head so that their eyes were forced to meet. Tallahassee chuckled a bit, leaning forward a bit.

"You didn't let me finish before you freaked out." A soft laugh escaped again, and he only continued to stare for a moment, taking in the look of the other. He said the words before he could stop them, "Me too, okay? Me too."

Columbus could only gape for a minute, eyes wide and slightly questioning. Tallahassee…was he telling the truth? They kept eye contact, and Columbus had never seen Tallahassee's eyes so clear, and…

A smile broke out on his face, stretching to its limits. Leaning forward, he sighed and brushed their lips together, letting his eyes search the other's. Tallahassee let his lips twitch to a grin, his arms going under the others to wrap around his chest, "I just wish it didn't take a near-death situation for me to tell you."

Pressing his lips harshly to Columbus's, he held the boy's body tighter to his own, hands searching his back and one moving to grip his hair. Columbus gasped, letting his eyes slip closed, hands grasping the front of the other's shirt. He pulled, as if the simple action would cause less space between their chests. He lifted himself onto Tallahassee's lap, giggling (no, laughing, _laughing, _he did _not _giggle) as the man's hand that wasn't in his hair went to cup his bottom, helping him to hoist himself up. Tongues battled between the two, and Columbus couldn't hold back the moan, sending Tallahassee nearly over the edge. He pushed harder against the boy, trying to gain even more contact, eventually winning the battle in their mouths and pushing the boy onto his back, smirking at the small surprised yelp it drew from Columbus. The heat between them grew, smoldering and covering, completely hiding the cold that had been so bothersome before.

Tallahassee shifted as the heat grew in a particular spot, and every shift of the boy under him sent waves of pleasure down his spine. Pressing slowly against the boy, he lowered his hands, slipping them under the waist of Columbus's pants, cupping that soft skin of the boy's bottom.

"Columbus…" Tallahassee looked up at the boy, his eyes questioning, but shrouded with unrestrained love, "Do you…I…we…"

"I don't know…" Columbus hunched his body down, fitting perfectly in Tallahassee's arms, his face pressing into the man's neck, "I've wanted too…I mean…with you…but I don't…."

Tallahassee nearly groaned, having to bite his lip. How could the boy look so sexy when he was saying that? God….what this boy did to him, "I know…but I don't want to do it here. Not here."

Columbus looked up at the other, the nervous blush fading softly from his cheeks, "Huh?"

"Call me old fashioned," Tallahassee chucked, running a hand through the other's hair and allowed the other the withdrawal of his hand from his pants, "But I like the first time in a bed, not on the ground of some grungy shack with zombies outside. I want to do this – more specifically, _you_ – proper."

Columbus blushed again, nodding and pressing closer to the other, "I…thank you."

"But don't get me wrong, after the first time, hell. We'll be doing it against walls, against the truck, against a tree, anything."

* * *

"Fuck."

Tallahassee sighed and ran his hands over his head, trying to forget what had just happened. Talk about being caught up in the moment…what had he done? He couldn't even look at the sleeping form next to him, without feeling a soft pang of regret as he looked at that soft face. How had he done something like this? Moments after he'd let the boy slide off his lap and onto the floor next to him, Columbus had fallen into a soft sleep against his shoulder.

"Fuck." He murmured again, sighing and looking up toward the ceiling, his mind swirling, "What the fuck am I doing? This…"

When Tallahassee first started looking at the boy near him as more of a friend, a feeling of regret had gone through him. He couldn't fuck up another relationship, not this one, not Columbus. This relationship would go nowhere. There would be nothing between them. This was a one-time thing that maybe would repeat once in a while, but they would stop. Nothing would happen with this relationship.

Tallahassee wasn't even close to knowing how wrong he was.


	11. The Birthday Chronicles: Wichita

Title: The Birthday Chronicles: Wichita

Characters/Pairing: **Wichita**, **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

**Warning: This chapter contains a Lime (soft lemon). **

* * *

"It's my birthday."

Columbus jumped and looked up from the magazine he was reading, catching Wichita with her hands on her hips. There was a devious smirk on her face as she stared down at the other, something that truly fit her complexion. Columbus even looked in a dictionary once to see if there would be a picture of her as the description for: Tricky, Devious, or Spiteful. Alas, there was none.

"It's my birthday, and I love you."

Columbus sighed and folded the magazine carefully in his hands, making sure to set it to the side before he looked at her again.

"A lot. Like a brother, but so much more, you know? I love you as much as I love Little Rock."

"Okay, okay, what do you want?" Columbus looked at her, making sure to take his feet down from the table as he talked to her. He had to admit, she was a perfect paragon of thievery as she stood there. Something was definitely swimming around in her mind as she looked down at him, that quirk of her lips almost making him cringe. If Wichita had something set in her mind, then get the hell out of her way because she would pull you into her plots.

But, alas again, he was already stuck. It _was _her birthday.

Withdrawing her hand from behind her back, she tossed whatever she was holding at him, making him scramble to catch it. He held it carefully in his hands before looking up at her, one eyebrow raised as he gave her a skeptical look, "A…Twinkie?"

The glee grew on Wichita's cheeks as she broke into a full smile, her eyes twinkling with pure deviousness, "yes. Eat it."

Columbus just gave her one more look, before looking down at the sweet sugary treat that he didn't particularly care for. Looking back at her, he chose not to question the extremely odd request, and instead rose an eyebrow again, something he'd been used to doing for a while, "Now?"

"No, later." Wichita looked positively…was there a word for it? _Excited. _"I'll tell you when to eat it. But do it, okay?"

"Okay…" Columbus gave one more skeptical look in her direction before she walked away, a particular skip to her step. He didn't know what she was up to, but as he was putting the Twinkie carefully into his sweater pocket, he felt an uncomfortable shiver run down his spine.

Something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Columbus was reading a magazine again, a dated one postmarked with a couple months ago, when he felt a nudge against his leg. Looking up, he saw Wichita magically seated in the loveseat next to the couch he was currently perched on. She widened her eyes and motioned to him, poking him in the leg again.

Columbus mouthed the word _now? _And she merely nodded, gaining that devious smirk on her face once again.

And here he thought they could all calmly watch a movie before two of them had to go to bed. It was a calm night; no zombies, a clean house, cool but not too cold. It was something that he'd wanted his whole time here in Zombieland, a nice, calm evening. Tallahassee was seated next to him, a added bonus, and Little Rock was slumping on the other side of the love seat Wichita was on, completely oblivious to her sister's plan.

Columbus gulped and reached into his pocket, his hand shaking as he did so. Did the Twinkie have poison in it? Was it deadly? Would she shove it in his face right when he was about to eat it? Was she doing this for the pure fact that she knew he hated the sugary sweet treat, and just wanted to watch him suffer as he ate it? Whatever it was, Columbus couldn't say no now.

It was her birthday, and she pulled the 'I love you' card. Damn it. He was a sucker for that.

The soft crinkle of the package made Columbus wince, but it was what made Tallahassee look up. His ears were in tune to the sound of the plastic crinkling of Twinkies, he'd grown to know it by heart. He'd already eaten his fill of the treat, as they found a supermarket that had a whole shelf full, but he still had the instinctual habit of seeking out that sound in hope of the squishy marshmallow-ish treat.

Oh, god.

His eyes caught his Columbus raising that treat up to his lips, only to slowly press it into his mouth, biting down with tantalizing slowness. There were bits of filling on the corners of his lips, and he slowly ran his tongue over his lips to catch the stray pieces of the treat. Tallahassee watched that tongue, those lips, and those fingers as he ran his soft tongue over the pads of his fingers to catch the crumbs of the sweet treat. Tallahassee tried as hard as he could to hold back a groan.

Columbus, on the other hand, tried to hold back a gag as he took a bite of the Twinkie. He really hated the things, they were much too sweet, but as slow as he tried to eat it, he still tasted it. Slowly licking the frosting off his lips in an attempt to not actually taste it, he brought his hand up to lick off the grease from the treat. What kind of creation was this? He slowly ate another bite, trying to shove as much of the treat in as he could so that there would be less to eat later. He hated it.

Columbus was licking off his fingers again when he heard the groan. It was something he wasn't used to, seeing as he could categorize the moans of zombies from the moans of alive people, but this…this sound was so feral, so raw, so….

Oh, Wichita, how sneaky you are.

Columbus looked slowly over to where his boyfriend sat, already knowing that those eyes were glued to his lips and fingers. Usually, he would blush and look away, passing his actions as a stupid joke on Wichita's part, but today…No, he was tired of running away. Maybe today was the day that he could show his true courage…even if he had to show it in this way.

Slowly, Columbus ran his tongue over his finger, before pushing the whole digit into his mouth carefully, closing his eyes and slowly pulling it out. Raising the last part of the Twinkie up to his mouth, he slipped his tongue into the hollow of the Twinkie, digging out the filling and pulling it into his mouth. He'd never done anything like this before, but for some reason, he knew exactly what would get Tallahassee drooling.

And it was working.

Wichita shifted in her seat, trying to hold back the devious smirk that threatened to grow on her face. She wasn't really the one for live Twinkie porn, but this was just so…a girl had to get some entertainment some way, didn't she?

"Wichita." Little Rock laughed a little, folding the newspaper she was reading into fourths and setting it on the table, snickering as she saw Columbus and Tallahassee in their own little world on the couch. Looking at her sister, she nudged at her, "you think you're being sneaky?"

"Oh, I'm being sneaky." Wichita lifted herself off the love seat, grabbing her sister off of the seat next to her and dragging her toward the stairs, "Now, come on. You're too young for live porn."

Columbus licked the final crumbs of Twinkie off his fingers, before turning to Tallahassee and flushing slightly, his eyes covered in a haze.

Tallahassee didn't have to think twice before lunging forward, capturing the other's mouth in a bruising kiss, pulling the other boy forward and onto his lap, letting the boy feel just how excited he was. Columbus gasped, groaning as the other attacked his lips, pressing their hips together excitedly.

Tallahassee groaned as he tasted the Twinkie on the other's lips, wonder how a sweet treat like that could be so deliciously seductive. Grabbing the other's shirt tightly, Tallahassee ran his hands down Columbus, grasping the soft round butt tightly, grinding upward harshly. Columbus moaned loudly, causing a blush to form on his cheeks as he looked down at the other.

"Talla…" Columbus gulped, surging down and pressing another kiss to Tallahassee's lips, feeling his own need grow tightly against his jeans, "Please…I…"

"What did I tell you?" Tallahassee ground upward, watching as Columbus's eyes shut tightly in pleasure as their clothed erections moved together. He gasped as he saw that beautiful look cross the other's face, "We aren't doing it until I get you in a bed. Until I get you correctly."

"But this…" Columbus was gasping softly, even as the underlying feeling of something welling up in his chest grew on him, "This technically….isn't making love…is it?"

Tallahassee looked up at the other, before a smirk grew on his face, and he surged his hips upward hardly against the other's pelvis, "You know what? You're right."

Columbus gasped as he felt heat rise up his legs and between them, surging up towards his heart and through his whole body. He joined Tallahassee in the rhythm he'd created, moving his hips back and forth in tune with the other. Wrapping his arms tightly around Tallahassee's shoulders, throwing his head back as they ground together.

Tallahassee ran his hands around Columbus's hips, pressing and massaging the soft skin under the bottom of Columbus's shirt, before playing with the front of the jeans and slowly slipping the button out. Pushing his fingers under the waist band of the jeans and boxers, Tallahassee didn't allow Columbus a protest before he wrapped his fingers around the boy's erection.

Gasping loudly, Columbus moaned as that soft head encompassed him, making him bend down and push his face into Tallahassee's neck, stifling a loud moan that threatened to break through his throat. Pleasure swept through him, as that hand pumped up and down, recklessly bringing him to the edge.

Pushing down harder and harder, Columbus ground against Tallahassee as the man stroked him harder. Capturing his lips in a soft kiss, Columbus moaned into Tallahassee's mouth, making the man smirk as the continued to plunder the other's mouth. Columbus moaned as he felt something welling up inside him, the pleasure building and building inside him.

"Talla…I…" Columbus tried to warn the other man, but his voice was cut off when Columbus let out a loud long scream, something that could have been identified as Tallahassee's name, which was what Columbus was yelling.

Tallahassee, hearing that beautiful voice yelling his name and those hips grinding against him just so, made him groan and close his eyes tightly shut, withdrawing one hand from the confines of Columbus's pants to reach around and roughly grab his backside, shoving himself upwards and pulling Columbus down for a few last, hard thrusts as he came with a loud moan.

"Well, I didn't think you'd be much of a screamer." Tallahassee raised his clean hand and brushed a bit of the boys hair out of his eyes, softly brushing the back of his hand against the boys quickly reddening cheeks.

Columbus sighed and leaned against the other, not letting his words invade this soft glowing happiness he felt. A blush was still on his face, and he was still hiding it in Tallahassee's neck, but he'd never felt so happy…

"I'm all sticky." Columbus looked up at Tallahassee with a soft smile, pressing his lips to the others with a soft sigh, "Wanna go clean up?"

"We're still on watch." Tallahassee pressed his hand against the other's cheek again, sighing and smiling, "I'll go get a wash cloth or something."

"Okay, but hurry back." Columbus groaned as Tallahassee started to pull himself out from under him. The cold air hit him like a wave, and he shivered as he sat alone on the couch, listening to the harsh patter of Tallahassee's feet as he quickly walked to the kitchen.

Smiling to himself, Columbus rested his head back against the couch, wondering and thinking. Maybe Twinkies weren't so bad after all.

* * *

**I'm sorry for the long update. I've had a hard time writing lately, but I'm getting back into the spirit. **


	12. The Journal, Entries 15 to 19

Title: **The Journal, Entries 15 - 19**

Characters/Pairing: Unnamed Little Girl

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me….well; The Journal does…and so does Unnamed Little Girl.

* * *

January 16th, 2010

We left Aunt Ella's today and went to go live with a friend of momma's. I really didn't want to go, but momma said that we had to. Her friend lives all the way out of our city and into another one. I didn't even know you could have friends that far! But when I went to go say goodbye to Aunt Ella, momma held me back from hugging her and Aunt Ella looked really sad. I wanted to give her a hug but momma wouldn't let me.

I changed my mind about not wanting to go, because Terrance was coming with us! He got annoyed at me when we were in the car, and it made me feel better. It's weird when Terrance is telling me he loves me and telling me that he would protect me.

I'm going to ask what's going on today.

* * *

January 17th, 2010

So, I asked what was going on yesterday. They didn't tell me anything! They just told me that everyone was getting sick, and I already knew that. Terrance looked sad, and so did momma. They got in a fight in the car, because Terrance was saying something about how I had the right to know what was going on. Momma said that I shouldn't because I'm only eight.

Terrance, when we were stopped at a gas station, told me that everyone was going cannon ball. It was on the news now, it's all they broadcasted. They were telling people to get out of their homes and into a safe place, where no one was sick, and stay there until this all blew over. I wanted to tell him I didn't know what canon ball meant, but I knew it wasn't good.

We drove for the rest of the day, momma didn't even stop to sleep. Does that mean…Aunt Ella went cannon ball too?

* * *

January 18th, 2010

We got to momma's friends house today, but when we tried to go in, she said that she already had too many people. Momma got really mad, and said some stuff that she said I shouldn't say, and Terrance took my down the street to the ice cream place while momma talked to her friend. He said that everything was going to be okay, and that if anything happened, he'd be there to protect me. I love Terrance.

We were eating ice cream when the man owner came up and said that they were closing soon, even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. It was hot here, and I didn't like it, and I really hope that we get to go home soon. I wanted to see daddy, because he said that he'd come over this weekend and play Samantha doll with me.

I wonder how Cristy is doing? I want to ask momma if we can go see her, but I don't think that she'll say yes.

* * *

January 19th, 2010

We got to stay in momma's friends house for last night, because momma said that her friends were really good friends, so that we could stay there. One of the people in the house was sick, but he went into his room and locked it. Momma said that that was the best thing now, and that she wanted to leave, but there wasn't anywhere else to go.

I didn't want to stay here, because it smelled weird and momma's friends weren't very nice. But daddy called momma's cell phone and I got to talk to him for a while after dinner. He said that he was going to meet up with us tomorrow and he'd talk with momma about going back home. I love daddy. Terrance was talking with daddy for a while, but he got really mad and yelled at me, which made momma mad. Everyone's getting really mad.

I want to go home.

* * *

January 20th, 2010

When daddy came over today, he didn't look too good. He said that he'd gotten in a car accident on the way here and that he'd gotten attacked by the cannon balls, but he was okay and he wasn't bitten. He talked with momma for a while before Terrance took me in and told momma and daddy that we needed to tell me what was going on. I didn't like how it sounded, but daddy said that he was tired and that he'd tell me tomorrow. That got momma really mad, and she followed him into their room. I heard yelling through the door.

Terrance told me that everyone was going to die. I didn't really understand, but I think that meant that everything wasn't going to be okay. I wanted everything to be okay. I just…I want everything to be okay.

When I started crying, Terrance held me and said that we were going to be okay. I just want to go home

I want to go home and play with Cristy. I want to eat ice cream with Terrance. I wanted to go home. I want to go home…


	13. Phoenix, Arizona

Title: Phoenix, Arizona

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, except Phoenix, but I'm not proud of that fact.

* * *

"Tallahassee! You're awesome!"

Columbus gripped his gun harder, trying to stop himself from involuntarily twitching. That stupid voice grated on his ears, and his fingers were started to turn white as he held the shotgun. His face was probably morphed into an ugly look of disgust, but he couldn't help it. He was just so… _disgusted._

"You have to tell me how you do that!"

Guh, that voice. Columbus looked away from that stupid, stupid person to choose instead to look out at the scenery. They'd been walking on a rather abandoned highway due to car troubles. It was the first time their car broke down for a while, and Columbus didn't think that walking would be a problem. It wouldn't have been a problem. He liked walking, taking in the fresh air, and everyone looks so happy when they were walking.

Except when they met Phoenix. God, that little…

"Nut up or shut up, right, Tallahassee?"

Columbus cocked his gun and started making his way over to the two leading the pack. Screw morals, that little fucker was going down. His footsteps pounded against the pavement and he could practically see Phoenix's blood and brains splatter on the ground. Oh, that fucker had it coming. Oh, it was going to be sweet…

"Whoa, I don't like that look." Wichita was the one to grab his elbow, holding him back as he made a bee-line towards Phoenix and Tallahassee. She knew what he was going through, and she'd had that look on her face from time to time, but she didn't like the way it looked on Columbus, "calm down, before you do something you'll regret."

"Regret?" Columbus let the tip of his gun fall and point at the ground as the tension grew in his shoulders, "I regret ever allowing that little pest to come along with us."

"I agree, he's annoying." Wichita let go of Columbus's elbow and nudged at him, "But jealousy isn't becoming on you."

"Jealous?" Columbus snorted, as if the very mention of that word was preposterous, "I'm not jealous. What are you talking about?"

"If this isn't you jealous, then I don't know what is." Wichita sighed and judged at him again, before speeding up to walk with her sister, "Now, clear your head, before I have to take that gun away from you."

Columbus sighed again, still hearing that grating voice in his head. He just couldn't help it. Phoenix was just so…he couldn't even describe it. From the moment that little nuisance had come to join their group, he'd been clinging to Tallahassee like they'd known each other their whole lives. God, that little son of a bitch. Columbus had even tried to start up a conversation with him, and Phoenix had totally given him the cold shoulder!

That little fucker was going to—no. Columbus ran a hand through his hair, grabbing tightly and pulling, trying to get those thoughts out of his head. He couldn't be thinking that. Not now. Just because that little sonnova…that little kid was annoying and clingy towards _his _boyfriend, didn't mean that he had to go and shout death threats, no matter how inviting they were.

"Columbus!" Hearing that voice call his name was bittersweet, even though Columbus didn't want to call it that. He loved any time that Tallahassee said his name, even if it was to yell at him to hurry up, "Hurry the hell up!"

"Is he always the one keeping you guys back?" Phoenix leaned in to whisper to Tallahassee, getting much too close to the other for comfort. That little prick! First, he thinks he can bad-mouth Columbus, but then he thinks he can get all up close and personal with Tallahassee? Columbus smirked. He couldn't wait to see Tallahassee tell that little bitch off for talking about _his _boyfriend that way.

Tallahassee instead smirked and snorted, "Yeah, pretty much, that little spit-fuck."

Columbus couldn't believe his ears as he watched Tallahassee turn around and continue walking with that annoyance. Why hadn't he stuck up for him? Why hadn't Tallahassee defended him?

That little bitch was brain washing him! Oh, he was smooth. But not smooth enough, that little fucking ass crack sonnova bitch face! What was he doing to bribe and/or trick his boyfriend into submission? It was hard to get Tallahassee to do what you wanted; Columbus knew from personal experience, so this little prick must be using heavy machinery. Probably a twinkie or something. Fucking twinkies. Twinkies were Columbus's and Tallahassee's thing. _Theirs. _

Columbus's face erupted into a blush and he looked away from the others. It probably would be best if he didn't dwell on that, lest he wanted to have to dip away for a moment. He and Tallahassee hadn't really gone TOO far together yet, but that didn't meant Columbus didn't think about it…and do certain _things _while thinking about it, but it was just…He thought that if he rushed right into something like that, Tallahassee would get tired of him and find someone else to release his sexual frustrations on.

Someone like Phoenix.

He laughed a bit and shook his head of his rather depressing thoughts. They got rid of the other pressing matters that had become hard for him to deal with at times (especially when other people were around), but they presented a sadness and depression that was hard to get rid of.

"Columbus?"

He jumped and looked over and down, laughing a bit as he stared down at the small girl at his side. Despite the year they had spent together, she had barely grown up past his shoulder. He knew that in another half year, or a whole year if he was lucky, she'd be past him in height. But for now, she was still the little sister he never had, "Yes?"

"You're spacing out." She nudged him a bit as she slowed to a stop beside him. Her favorite sport (Tallumbus watching) was being interrupted, and she was extremely unnerved by that fact, "What's up?"

Shaking his head, he lowered his gun to point at the ground, lest he wanted to point it at a certain someone when he heard that grating laughter, "It's nothing. Where is Tallahassee?"

"He and Phoenix went into the grocery store to find non-perishable food." She sighed and swung her shot gun around to rest it on her shoulder, tilting her weight to lean on one foot as she scratched the side over her head with her free hand, "They'll be back in a minute."

"Great." Columbus sighed and looked away toward the ground. His jealousy usually lead to him being depressed. Fucking little ass hole, that Phoenix. It had been Little Rock's idea to help him, but Columbus didn't hold her against it. She just wanted to help. But, if he had known it would have turned out like this, he would have just shot Phoenix in the head and told everyone he was a zombie. Double tap at its greatest.

"Shit!" He jolted around as he heard Wichita's voice break through the silence, watching as she ran up from behind the store, probably from where the bathrooms were, "Shit! Fucking run! There's too fucking many!"

Columbus gulped and turned toward the store, watching as Phoenix and Tallahassee burst through, Phoenix's hair ruffled and a red sheen on his face, Tallahassee's shirt strewn and unbuttoned a bit, his hat tilted awkwardly on his head.

And Columbus's world stopped. Watching as the two burst from the store, obviously having been doing _something, _his heart stopped and he felt as though it was being ripped from his body. He'd never felt anything like it…It was as though he'd never feel better ever again. It felt as though…

"Columbus, you fucker!" Wichita yelled in his ear and he jolted back into reality, swinging around and decking a zombie with the back of his shotgun, making him realize that he'd been inches from death. He shook the thought that maybe death was worth it now from his head, and shot in front of him, where ten or twenty zombies maybe had congested.

He clipped a few before spinning around and running, seeing that the girls were far ahead, checking for cars that worked and had keys, there were many of them in the parking lot, and Tallahassee and Phoenix were running and shooting at random. Columbus was maybe twenty feet behind them, shooting behind him and running without really looking where he was going.

That's why he was surprised when his foot jarred painfully on something laying on the ground, making him yell out in pain and crumple onto the ground, scraping his arms and face against the hard concrete. He grunted and listened as his gun slid a few feet away, out of arms reach.

"Columbus!"

He stirred painfully, trying to crack his eyes open, hearing the groaning and shuffling of zombies from overhead. Glancing down towards his feet, he saw that the zombies were inches from him, lurching and lunging as they realized he was down. He tried to push himself up off the ground, but his wrist tinged as he tried to push himself up, and his legs were killing him. Guess this was the day he was going to die. He was okay with that.

"Columbus!" There was a ferocious growl as the man who had been feet in front of him jumped over his body, skidding to a stop in between him and the bloodthirsty beasts. He looked…angry. Columbus let that small feeling of comfort ebb into his heart, before he heard that voice behind him. That grating, that fucking annoying grating voice.

"Tallahassee! What are you doing! Leave him! You'll die!"

With that, Columbus slumped into the ground, his head spinning. Phoenix was right. Tallahassee should just leave. If he tried to protect Columbus all the time, then he'd get killed himself. Columbus wasn't worth it anymore.

Groaning, Columbus slipped unconscious. Maybe he'd hit his head harder than he thought.

* * *

"He's not worth it! You could have died, don't you understand that?"

Columbus heard the voices as he slowly came back to consciousness, his head spinning. If there was one voice he'd least like to wake up to, it was that voice. Stupid little prick.

"You know what, Phoenix? I've had enough of your shit."

Columbus opened his eyes, looking over at where he saw Tallahassee, his back facing the couch Columbus was laying on, facing Phoenix, his shoulders rigid in anger. Columbus had only seen Tallahassee that angry once before, and that was about two hours ago. Well, then, and when someone had told him there was an expiration date on twinkies.

"You come into our group like you own us," Tallahassee jabbed a finger into Phoenix's chest, taking pleasure in seeing the other wince in pain, "And then you tell me to leave one of us behind? I wanted to help you at first, but I can't stand it anymore."

"What?" Phoenix sounded shocked, and Columbus took pride in that fact, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and your fucking face!" Tallahassee shoved at Phoenix again, "And after that shit you pulled in that fucking store, I should shoot you right now. Now, you're telling me to leave Columbus behind? No way in fucking hell."

"What, do you like him or something?" Phoenix sneered at Tallahassee's words, his eyes lighting in anger, "He's no use to you if he can't even protect himself."

"That's what I'm for." Tallahassee sneered, his chest puffing in sheer anger, and he couldn't hold back the powerful punch he already had aimed at Phoenix's face. There was a satisfying crunch as something in the boy's face broke, and he fell painfully to the ground. Tallahassee growled, "Now, get the fuck out of here before I punch you even harder."

Tallahassee couldn't believe it. In the beginning, he'd wanted to help others, whether it be because of Little Rock's nagging or the fact that the other had glued to his arm, but he wanted to for a moment. But the second after Phoenix had started distancing him from Columbus, Tallahassee had realized his mistake. The man was needy, clingy, and didn't like anyone but Tallahassee. But he was good with a gun, and they needed him, that's why Tallahassee hadn't outright killed him.

He'd seen Columbus's looks, that face, and to tell the truth, he was happy. His little spit-fuck was jealous, and Tallahassee couldn't have been happier. That cute little pout and that blush, well, it made Tallahassee's heart swell, and he wanted nothing more than to go over and sweep his boy into his arms and kiss him senseless, tell Phoenix exactly who Tallahassee belonged to, but he was stopped every time.

Then fucking Phoenix wanted to go into the stupid store. That's where everything had gone to shit, and Tallahassee felt disgusting for it.

"So…" Columbus sat up slowly, wincing as he jarred his wrist the wrong way. It was only sprained, but it still stung, "What's up?"

Tallahassee turned around as if he knew that Columbus was awake the whole time, and sat next to the other on the couch, "Just taking out the garbage." Tallahassee rubbed the base of his neck with his palm, leaning his head to the side with a sigh, "What happened in the store was that fucker practically attacked me, and I punched him in the face."

Columbus chuckled and scooted closer to the other, very pleased when he felt the other's arm go around his waist and hold onto him tightly. He didn't know all that happened between Tallahassee and Phoenix, but at least he knew that Tallahassee wasn't going to replace him with that little bitch…but...

"I'm sorry."

Tallahassee looked down shocked as he heard the other's announcement, his eyes wide, "What?"

"I'm sorry I haven't slept with you yet." Columbus dipped his head and pressed harder against the body near him, "I'll understand if you want to find someone else…but…I'm sorry."

"Is that what you thought was happening?" Tallahassee harshly turned to the side, grabbing Columbus by the shoulders, his fingers shaking as he tried not to yell, but the feeling was hard to withhold, "What the fuck, Columbus?"

"I just don't want to be replaced." Columbus gulped as he heard that tone of voice, wondering if maybe talking about this wasn't the best choice of action, "I love you, Tallahassee. I want us to mean something. I don't want to be replaced."

Tallahassee could only stare as the boy shook with fear and sorrow, his head dipped so that those curly bangs covered most of his face, and his hands clenched hard against the fabric of the blanket around him. He was truly terrified that Tallahassee would leave him? Against his wishes, Tallahassee's heart swelled again, and a small smile played on his face.

"I'd…" Tallahassee quickly pulled the other quickly to himself, making sure that the boy was comfortable in his lap before he clenched onto the boy, as if he would leave any second. His heard was aching, aching for something that needed to be said, "I…I love you."

Columbus's gaze shot up as he looked into those beautiful (how had he not realized how pretty Tallahassee was?) eyes, his own misting up as his lips quirked, "W-what?"

Tallahassee smirked; bring his hand up to brush a strand of the boy's hair behind his ear, "I love you. And with that, comes a contract. It's simple. You must merely stay with me for the rest of your life. End of contract. I love you, and no one else."

"Forever?" Columbus smiled softly, a look that Tallahassee loved to his core. That soft blush, that soft smile, that look of adoration and love in his eyes. Tallahassee could live with that look for the rest of his life.

Tallahassee rolled his eyes, groaning, "Fuck, leave it to you to make it something corny and sentimental. Not _forever, _spit-fuck. Just for the rest of our lives, however long they may be."

Columbus could live with that.

"Forever-ever-ever-ever!"

Both of the men's gazes shot up as they looked toward the doorway into the kitchen, seeing Wichita standing there with a bowl of popcorn, and Little Rock with a heavy blush covering her face, though it couldn't mask her smile.

"God, the first time I tell someone I love them, and I got a goddamn audience." Tallahassee leaned back on the couch, taking Columbus with him so that the other fit comfortable against his side, "Fucking peachy."

"What?" Wichita shrugged as she took another handful of popcorn into her mouth, offering her little sister some, who greedily grabbed, "A girl's got to find some entertainment somehow."

Columbus merely laughed, his heart swelling as he leaned against the other, closing his eyes and reveling in the feel. The feel of that arm around him, that silence that a certain annoying-ass voice wasn't filling, and the smell that the other surrounded him with. He felt as though everything was going to be alright, and all his doubts were washed away as if he never felt them again.

Did he do the right thing? Tallahassee felt his mind clench in uncertainty. He hadn't even told Colette he loved her, though she didn't really count for anything other than being the mother of Buck. Tallahassee looked down at the form against him, and that doubt was washed away. Of course he made the right decision. Any decision that made his heart speed, his pulse race, and such a calm come over him wasn't a bad decision.

He finally felt as though he'd done something right. In a world of bad decisions, he'd finally made a right one.

"Wait…" Columbus perked up and looked at the other, "Does this mean I can call you my boyfriend now?"

* * *

**Sorry about the super long wait! I feel really bad. Especially since it's this that I bring you back with. It's not that good…well, to me. I like the concept, and Phoenix was a character that I really wanted to bring in…so…I'm sorry!**


	14. See Right Through To Your Glasses

Title: See Right Through To Your Glasses

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus, Little Rock  
**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

* * *

Little Rock needed glasses. They hadn't really been focusing on it (no pun intended), seeing as there are more important facts to dwell on in Zombieland, but it was eventually that they noticed that Little Rock needed glasses. It wasn't the typical issue, when they saw that she was running into things more, or was unable to read her favorite magazines. No, it wasn't that. It wasn't that she told them, she would no sooner admit that she couldn't see than kiss a zombie. No, it wasn't that. No, they seemed to get the idea that Little Rock needed glasses just a mere four months after Pacific Playland.

Shooting Columbus seemed to be a pretty good reason.

* * *

"Fuck." Little Rock murmured to herself, rubbing viciously at her eyes, almost bringing her to tears. Things had not been going well.

Wichita paused a moment, before looking down at her little sister with a raised eyebrow, "You okay, Little Rock?"

Resting her shotgun on her shoulder, Little Rock laughed, shrugging and looking up again, "Yeah, I'm cool…on second thought…" She lifted her shotgun with a sigh, looking at it with a disgruntled sort of look, "my shotguns nearly out of shells."

"That's okay." Wichita laughed a little, before reaching into the waistband of her jeans and pulling out one of her new favorite weapons, a rather devastating hand gun that she didn't bother to figure out the name to. Handing it to her little sister, she tilted her head and smiled, "Now, throw away that stupid shotgun and take this handgun. We need to hurry; you know how Tallahassee gets if we lag back on raids."

"Yeah." Little Rock sighed and tossed her gun to the side, wincing when it made a rather loud clattering sound. Taking her sister's gun, she started following again. They were on one of their raids, most likely in the search for Twinkies, but Little Rock enjoyed them anyways. One of her favorite pastimes was Tallumbus watching, and she found it particularly interesting. Wichita thought she was weird, but Little Rock was positive that Tallahassee and Columbus would be perfect for each other; she just needed those two to know that.

She was also very certain that Wichita loved watching the boys together, too, but she just wasn't saying anything.

Rubbing at her eyes one last time, she jogged to keep up with her sister, just barely stopping in time to not run into her. Looking up in confusion, Little Rock saw that her sister was staring into the distance. She was about to ask what the matter was when her sister raised her gun, aiming and shooting in swift succession.

Zombies again. By now, their little group had gotten used to it, and the sight of the screaming banshees from hell just barely sparked a jolt of panic in their hearts before they got rid of it. She was used to it, and she was sure the boys were okay ahead of them. Her sister was a good aim, and she let her take care of most of the undead creatures. This would probably be the most of them until they got to the supermarket.

"Little Rock!" Wichita looked back at her sister, her eyes wide in panic, "Watch your back!"

Little Rock whipped around, bringing her hand up in a swift arc to shoot at the undead coming for them from the sides of the road. There were more than anticipated. They were screaming and limping towards the two sisters, their mouths agape in pain, their limbs flailing as they tried to reach the two.

Firing at random, Little Rock was pushed back, stumbling and gasping as she struggled to run away from the undead crawling after them. Wichita was a couple feet away from her, but she knew her sister had her back. Breathing deep, Little Rock tried as hard as she could to fire toward the head, but it was just so hard to tell the head from anything else. Squinting, she aimed and fired, her ankle catching something on the ground.

Yelping as she landed harshly on the ground, she winced, hearing more gunshots over her head. Looking up, she smiled softly when she saw her sister firing over and over, yelling something about getting near her sister. Little Rock sighed, bringing up a hand and rubbing it over her face, her eyes tired from squinting.

"Little Rock!"

Looking up quickly, the girl brought her gun to eye level, swiveling around until she found the object of offence and took a deep breath. The last zombie, the hardest one to get. Letting her breath out slowly, she pulled the trigger, glad to get rid of it before anyone noticed she couldn't actually see it.

"Little Rock! What the fuck! What did you do?"

Oh, _fuck. _

_

* * *

_

Tallahassee wasn't happy. True, it was often that he wasn't in a good mood, but he was in a really shitty mood right then. He wasn't happy. He wasn't happy at all.

Columbus groaned, trying to shift away from the painful hold the other man had on him. Ever since Little Rock had shot him in the shoulder, the other man wouldn't let him be. True, his shoulder hurt like a bitch, and he was quite glad that the other man was holding onto him, but it was too hard and he wanted to go apologize to Little Rock properly. It was partially his fault that he got shot, considering he'd walked up right behind the girl when she was on a firing rampage.

"Are you okay?" Tallahassee checked over his boy again, tightening his hold on the other as he worried, "Are you hurt? Does anything hurt? Are you okay?"

"Fuck, Tallahassee!" Columbus wiggled again, gasping when it jarred his injured shoulder, "I'm fine!"

It wasn't anything to be worried about. The girl had missed, and it'd gone through his shoulder, near the edge of his arm. It was a flesh wound, nothing that couldn't be healed with a bandage and a little lovin'.

Tallahassee shifted around, bringing the boy onto his lap in a desperate attempt to gain more contact. He knew that the boy was alright, and considering the situation, things could have gone a lot worse, but he still didn't want the other boy going near Little Rock. She still had that gun, and her fury might not be gone. He didn't want his Columbus getting on the business end of a hand gun, not twice in one day.

They were both startled from their musing when the door furthest away from them opened, and a nervous girl poked her head in, a smile growing on her face. Wichita looked a little worse for wear, but good considering what had perspired no more than thirty minutes ago.

She's managed to talk her sister out from under the truck in ten minutes, so she thought of it as a small accomplishment.

"I think we have someone who needs to apologize." Wichita backed away, leaving room for her little sister to step forward. Her head was bowed, her eyes still rimmed with red, and her nose sniffing more often than not. Her hands were tugging at her shirt, and her shoulders were still shaking.

"Little Rock?" Columbus felt the arms around him tighten when he spoke her name, and he heard a soft growl from behind him. This wasn't a good situation, not anymore, at least. Couldn't she have waited at least a day more? So that Tallahassee could calm down and get the situation right?

Little Rock looked up, her eyes full of mourning sadness, something that Columbus hadn't seen before in the girl, "Ohio…I….I didn't mean to. I'm….I don't…."

"But you did…." Tallahassee murmured from behind the boy, his eyes glaring at her. Columbus jabbed the man with his good elbow, telling him to shut the fuck up before he got something he _really _wouldn't like. Tallahassee, not wanting to think of what that could be, shut up promptly.

Little Rock's eyes squinted in pain as a fresh wave of tears started down her cheeks, "I really didn't mean to. I…"

"It's okay." Columbus leaned forward, managing to get those arms off him partially, "It's not your fault. I understand. You were in the heat of the moment, and I shouldn't have interrupted you. It's my fault."

"It's not your fault! It's mine!" Little Rock yelled, her eyes closing shut and her mouth twisting in pain. She gave him one last look before whipping around and taking off, making sure to dip down and scoop up a shotgun lying on the ground. She wanted to think, not get eaten by a straggler zombie.

Wichita took one look at the boys before rolling her eyes and taking off after the girl. She knew that there would be troubles, and bad eyesight ran in the family, but she didn't want to see anyone get shot over it. Especially by Little Rock.

"You sure you're okay?" Tallahassee's grip on him finally loosened, and Columbus could hear the true fear and concern in his voice. Leave it to Tallahassee to get angry and hostile to cover the fact that he was terrified.

Shaking his head, he laughed a bit, as much as his wound would allow him before his laughter broke into a hiss, "it's fine. Just a bit sore. Nothing to be worried about."

"Nothing my ass." Tallahassee pulled the other closer, his eyes narrowing in a glare, "I can't keep my eye offa you. What with guns and zombies and shit, I'm surprised you lived this long without me."

"Oh, how did I do it?" Columbus recited dramatically, before rolling his eyes and leaning his head on Tallahassee's shoulder, momentarily forgiving him for yelling at the youngest member of their party, "You're going to apologize to Little Rock."

Tallahassee knew it was coming, but that didn't stop him from growling and clenching his teeth, "Well, that depends. Does she ever plan on shooting you again?"

"I'm going to go with no." Columbus laughed. He loved being protected, but sometimes Tallahassee went a little overboard. But overboard was good in a world like theirs, so Columbus couldn't complain. He also couldn't blame the man for not completely trusting the girls anymore, especially considering they had ditched (and met up with again) them about two times after pacific playland.

At least this was the first time they'd been shot at by the girls. Columbus took that as a plus.

"I'll say I'm sorry." Tallahassee grumbled, reaching up and pulling his hat down further on his head, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to mean it."

"I'm never going to ask you to say sorry and mean it." Columbus laughed, before closing his eyes and allowing himself to fall slowly into a fitful sleep, knowing that everything would be resolved when he got back up.

Too bad he was wrong.

* * *

When Columbus stirred again, he thought he would still be resting against Tallahassee as Wichita drove the car and Little Rock sat in the front seat. Tallahassee should have already apologized, and if their being stationary, still in the parking lot was any consolation, the hick had done nothing of the sort.

Also, the fact that Tallahassee and Wichita were screaming their lungs out at each other behind the car was also another clue that things hadn't been resolved. Wichita had a very special soft spot for her sister, so Columbus thought it was stupid of him to not think that Wichita would get involved somehow.

"What the fuck more do you want from me? She fucking shot Columbus! What the fuck do you think I should do about it!"

"Fuck, I don't know! Don't take it out on her! She needs glasses, can't you fucking see that!"

"Well, don't come yelling to me because she fucking can't see! Get her some fucking glasses or something!"

"Do you see an optometrist anywhere around here! Because I fucking don't!"

Columbus rolled his eyes and sat up in his seat, rolling his shoulder around and was pleased to find that it didn't hurt as much as before. Not hurting as much probably meant that it was infected. That was good. Opening the door to the truck slowly and slipping out onto the ground, Columbus slowly walked away from the truck and away from the screaming. He knew a certain someone that needed his attention more than the two bickering back there.

Making sure to slip a hand gun from under the seat, he set off, wondering exactly where Little Rock had gone off to. She was smart enough to not go far, so it wouldn't be too hard to find her. Stepping over strewn bodies and looking at them a bit more than he would before, he swept down every few minutes and picked something off of a few of them, slipping the objects into his front pocket.

"Little Rock?" She was sitting on a bolder near the edge of a lake, her back facing him. She was still crying by the looks of it, and her shotgun was too far away for comfort.

She turned towards him a little, before sniffing and trying to muster the energy to smile, "yeah?"

"Now, look what I've found." He sat next to her, absently nudging her so that she'd give him room. He pulled the few things he collected out of his front pocket and presented them to her, wondering if she'd like his little idea, "Try them on and see which one works."

Little Rock smiled at the eight, maybe nine pairs of glasses that the boy held, probably all off of dead bodies, but she didn't care. She froze, looking up at him, "Are you okay?"

"Yes." He rolled his eyes, getting particularly tired of that question, "Now, try them on."

"I shot you. Why are you being so nice to me?" She sniffled again, reaching up and rubbing harshly under her nose, making it burn. She relished in the feeling, trying to convince herself not to cry anymore, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the tears.

Columbus lifted an arm and playfully rubbed her on the shoulder, smiling warmly, "A shot is a shot. I understand what made you do it, and that's all that really matters. As long as you didn't do it on purpose, I don't care."

"Try telling that to Tallahassee." She winced at the thought of the man. She really didn't want to be on the end of that wrath.

"I did, and he's going to apologize." Columbus sighed and rolled his eyes, wanting to get back to the car and break up the possible fist-fight that was going on between the two. He didn't mind hanging out with Little Rock, and he'd do anything to make her feel better, but going back to the car and dealing with possible broken bones wasn't on his high list of priorities just yet, "there's perks to being that guy's boyfriend, you know."

Little Rock giggled. Columbus knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.

"He's letting you call him your boyfriend now?"

"Ahh, that's a different problem entirely." Columbus laughed, standing up slowly and turning around, holding his hand out to the girl, "Come on, you can help me convince him, what do you say?"

"I'll tell him I'll get him twenty twinkies if he'll call you his boyfriend!" Little Rock laughed, jumping up and fitting all the pairs of glasses in her pocket, to be checked for correct prescription later.

* * *

**I love Little Rock. And I don't mind Wichita that much if she doesn't talk and she doesn't interrupt the Tallumbus awesomeness. And, Reviews are nice. If you want to. They always make me feel better and give me inspiration. Loves~ :)  
**


	15. The Journal, Entries 20 to 25

Title: **The Journal, Entries 20 – 25 (END)**

Characters/Pairing: Unnamed Little Girl

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me….well; The Journal does…and so does Unnamed Little Girl.

* * *

January 21st , 2010

I had to take food to the sick person behind the door because momma was tired and took a nap on the couch. I don't know why they wouldn't just let someone else take the food to the sick person, but everyone was really really angry and Terrance wasn't home so I was the only person to take the food. They didn't ask me, really, but I wanted to take the food to the person because I knew that they would be hungry. I didn't want them to be hungry so I took the food to them.

I snuck the key out of the person's pocket, but they were sleeping, so they didn't see me. I unlocked the door to the sick person's room and I didn't want to look in, so I just slipped in the food, and was about to close the door, but the person grabbed my hand! I got it out before they could do anything, but I got a little cut on my finger, and I had to lick it and stuff for two minutes before It stopped bleeding. I got a band aid, so it was okay.

When I got back downstairs, momma was in the kitchen getting a drink of water, and Terrance was talking to daddy at the bottom of the stairs.

I think daddy's leaving soon.

* * *

January 22nd, 2010

Terrance got momma to let him borrow the car, and we left for a while. Well, it was a little bit longer than a while, because Terrance said that momma wasn't feeling good. I asked if she got the cannon ball, and he said that she hadn't. This made me feel better because that meant that she wouldn't be bad like everyone else. I wish that momma could have come with us, but Terrance said that she would feel better if she didn't come with us. I didn't think that mom would want to leave us, but daddy did too, so I don't think that she'll be lonely. Daddy will be with her.

Terrance said that we were going to go where no sick people could get to us, and that daddy and mommy were safe where they were. Terrance got really sad while watching the news that evening, and he held me for an hour. I didn't mind though, It felt really nice.

Terrance gave good hugs.

* * *

January 23rd, 2010

The cut on my finger won't go away, but Terrance said that it was just infected, but not with a bad virus. The infection on my finger was a normal virus, and that was good. I don't know what about a virus is good, and I think Terrance is trying to trick me, but he said that it was okay.

I'm really tired. All we're doing is driving. We barely stop for food, and we're starting to come into places where people barely even know about the cannon ball, so Terrance said that was good. The people here don't care about what's happening over there.

But I'm really tired.

* * *

January 24th, 2010

Tired. Terrance says that I should sleep. We went into hospital today, but there were no people. They were all screaming, people running, Terrance got scared. We go deeper into the city, and Terrance let's me call momma on pay phone. Momma didn't answer. They say she can't answer. There's screaming on the other line. Terrance hugs me.

Terrance hugs me.

He says we go to get food, and then we keep driving.

I'm hungry.

* * *

January 25th, 2010

I ran away. I'm hungry. All I have is journal. I'm hungry. People are running and screaming. I'm hungry. I fall. I fall. I fall. I run. They're all screaming. I'm hungry. I want to go home. I want Terrance. I want momma. I want daddy.

I want food.

* * *

To whom it may concern:

This is Terrance Carols. My younger sister, Ruthie, was keeping a journal over the past month, documenting the events that have unfolded over our lives. On January first, we were in Lincoln, Nebraska. When our mother heard of the outbreak, we moved toward our Aunt Elizabeth's home, and stayed there with her and her husband. They both soon took ill. We soon moved toward Kansas City, and past that, to our mother's friend's house. Our dad met us there, but he was infected due to a car accident he was involved in. He infected our mother, and thus, we had to leave.

We drove day at night, and made it as far as Albuquerque, New Mexico, something I'm shocked of even now. We stopped to get some food, and she had disappeared.

Only when I found her was when I realized she was infected. She was feeding on another child when I found her, her bloodied journal next to her as she tore at the child's flesh. She had no knowing of what she was doing, she was completely gone by that time. I heard gunshots, and yelling, and screaming.

A man was running by, and one of the stray gunshots had gotten Ruthie on the shoulder, causing her to jar and look up. She started to attack him, and he shot her in the head. Only to see that blood on her face, that spark of recognition in her eye, and her frail body fall to the ground. She may have been infected, but she was still my little sister.

I hadn't realized I killed the man until later, when I was kneeling on the ground, and empty gun in one hand, and the other running through my sister's hair.

She was dead, and so was I.

To whom it may concern, I merely want my little sister, Ruth carols: February 1st , 2001 – January 25th, 2010, to be remembered for the little girl she was.

Her birthday was in seven days, she would have been nine….


	16. Occult, Part 3

Title: Occult, Part 3

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, except for Albuquerque.

* * *

"Ahh." Albuquerque ran the back of his knuckles over the kid's cheek, smirking as he did, "This is perfect. We're finally going to get redemption. Do you know what this means, Two?"

Two didn't know what it meant, but saying that would probably result in his head getting blown off. He really didn't want that.

"He smells…" Albuquerque leaned down again, nearly shoving his nose into the boy's neck, inhaling deeply, "…sublime."

Creeper. Two shivered as his boss continued to sniff and prod at the boy. If this plan fell through, he was _so _quitting. Hell, he was quitting either way.

* * *

Tallahassee couldn't comprehend thought as he heard Little Rock crying in the back seat. Wichita was sitting next to her, yelling at Tallahassee, but he couldn't even hear that. All he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears, his eyes wide and angry. He couldn't comprehend anything but the sheer anger that was filling his being.

"Stop! Please, stop!"

He whipped his fist forward again, slamming it into the jaw of the man once more, hearing that crack and adding another bruise to the collaboration of them on the man's face. He growled, "Tell me where the fuck they took him!"

"Please, stop!"

He kicked the man in the side, causing him to choke and sputter, curling in on himself. Every time he thought that he couldn't feel any more pain, this man would cause it. He coughed again, and spat out another tooth, before gasping and holding a hand up, "Stop! I'll tell you! Please, stop!"

And he did. He held back his fist from yet another blow, and his eyes trained on the man's, daring him to lie.

"H-he's in a warehouse….He-he…" The man gasped for breath, and hurried when he saw Tallahassee's still raised fist, "Just two or three blocks over….it's warehouse eighty-seven, on Redondo and Brown. Please, let me go…."

Tallahassee stood up, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans and turning around swiftly. He was going to get his Columbus back, even if he had to kill a few that weren't zombies.

* * *

When Columbus came too, he couldn't hold back the pained groan that tore itself from his lips. Whatever hey had done to him, or slipped him while he was sleeping, it was working. He could barely move his fingertips, and he didn't even want to start thinking about his toes. His eyelids were heavy and tiring, but no matter how long they stayed shut, his mind wouldn't let him slip back into unconsciousness.

There was a murmur of conversation around him, and as he finally got his eyes open, he realized that he wasn't alone. There were ten people, maybe more behind him, speaking softly and quietly. His eyes were drawn to the more present situation in front of him. He was propped up on a large gate, held to a two-by-four with tight rope and duck tape, and while the men were on one side of the gate, on the other made Columbus gulp and shiver.

Hundreds of undead creatures were clawing at his feet, trying to reach any part of him they could get. The many moans and groans of the creatures blended together, but the blood and the carnage presented before him was loud and grating on his mind, and the dread that he had desperately been trying to hold back this whole time pounded on him with full force. He was going to die, and it was going to be painful.

There was a large slam as a stadium light turned on to his left, making him look and groan as the bright light dug into his eyes and made his head pound with a fierce intensity. The man, the main man that was smelling him not a day ago, was standing on a large stand, his arms spread and his smile eerily happy. He was standing in the beam of light, and he might have been seen as angelical, but Columbus could only see him as creepy and terrifying.

"Finally!" The man threw his arms into the air, his voice light and happy, but loud and demanding at the same time. As he screamed out the word, many of the men cheered with him, throwing their fists and weapons into the air, while some of them looked around nervously at the gate that was barely holding back the carnage that could be tearing at them any second.

Columbus held back the bile rising in his throat, whether from the smell or the pain, he didn't know. His heart ached for Tallahassee, closing his eyes and imagining the man. Tallahassee was coming for him, he knew it.

"Our redemption has come!" The man pointed toward the boy tied to the plank of wood, his eyes wild and happy, "In the form of this boy, we shall have our sanctuary! They have given us our judgment in the form of these undead creatures, and they ask for blood! They ask for clean virgin blood!"

Where was this man getting his information? Columbus could have laughed if he wasn't surrounded by pain and fear. If there was one thing that wouldn't get rid of these zombies, it was blood. That was the one thing they did want, and they'd get it from Columbus pretty soon. They'd tear him to pieces, and the cult behind him would be sorely disappointed when nothing happened.

"The moon is full!" Albuquerque screamed, "And so is our opportunity!"

Columbus groaned.

* * *

When the beaming light struck on, Tallahassee didn't have the words for the anger he felt as he saw the cult leader standing on a pedestal. The light beamed, and Tallahassee looked at the man before something else caught his eye. If he thought that seeing the cult leader standing high and mighty made him angry, what he saw next made the breath leave his lungs.

He felt as though every emotion wafting through his mind was cleared, and all he could focus on was the image of Columbus, bleeding and gasping, tied to a piece of wood held high above the ground. He looked as though he were on the verge of death, hair plastered to his face with sweat, and his chest heaving. If all that blood was his, there would be serious hell to pay.

"Oh my god…" Little Rock whispered next to him, bringing her hands up quickly to cover her mouth, "Is that…."  
"Yes." Tallahassee felt the anger swell in his heart, growing and growing until he was sure that if he didn't punch something soon, he was going to explode. He merely slung the bag full of weapons over his shoulder harder, trekking toward the large slew of zombies standing around the base of where _his _Columbus was being held. He'd kill every single one of the undead creatures that wanted to harm what was his, and then he'd take pleasure in sending a personal message to the Cult leader in the form of a bullet to the skull.

The girls were already storming forward, firing away at anything they got close to, not bothering to hide themselves from being detected. Tallahassee watched them in pride, before storming forward himself, his eyes locked on that boy he knew was still alive. And if he wasn't, he'd go down to hell and drag him up himself. Tallahassee wouldn't let Columbus die without him.

* * *

Two felt a smile play on his face and he looked between the cracks of the gate, only to see three forms wielding guns storming their way through the hoards of zombies. He knew it had been a bad idea to take the kid, especially seeing as he was obviously dating the big scary one. He was kind of glad that Albuquerque was going to be knocked off his high horse.

* * *

"There will be some who will try to stop us."

Columbus felt his eyes peel open again at those words, hearing the distant thump of gunshots, the muffled and hard to reach screaming of something he recognized. He knew that something was going on, but when he opened his eyes, they were clouded with blood and fatigue.

"Some that think this idea will not bring redemption to our masses."

He was going to shake his head, but he realized beforehand that it probably wouldn't be a very good idea. Raising his head was a more difficult job that it had been previously, but it focused his mind and his eyes as well. Seeing that the crowd of zombies in front of him had greatly diminished, he heard yet another scream of his name, and he couldn't hold back the smile.

Tallahassee? Looking further back in the crowd, more towards the booming gunshots, he caught sight of his gun toting cowboy-hat wearer. Tallahassee. Smiling more, he tried to keep his eyelids open, but it was so increasingly difficult….

"The moon is nearly full! Begin the decent!"

Columbus jolted forward on his board as they began lowering it to the ground. Tallahassee and the girls were gradually getting rid of a fair amount of the creatures, but they were still a couple of feet away from the swarm that Columbus found himself being lowered into. They were grabbing at his feet, now mere inches away from getting him, and their eyes nearly gleamed in hunger as they reached for him.

The board jerked and jolted as he was lowered slowly, and he could feel the hands and fingers begin tugging at his shoes and pant legs. He wasn't close enough for them to break his skin, but it was a matter of seconds before they were digging their cannibalistic teeth into his heels.

"Our time has come!"

"Oh, shut the fuck up!" Tallahassee lifted his foot high enough to place it on a zombies back, hefting himself up and throwing himself forward, soaring over a couple zombies, shooting down and around as he did. He landed with a thud in front of Columbus, reaching his hand forward swiftly, grabbing the large baseball bat he had strapped to the front of his shirt and sweeping it around, effectively knocking every zombie around him a foot back, stumbling over each other.

There were more gunshots, which ensured that the zombies now lying on the ground would not be getting back up again.

"Wichita, Little Rock, you get Columbus down from here."

Tallahassee looked up at his boy, smiling softly when he saw those eyes staring down at him in relief. Reaching up slowly, he slipped his hand over Columbus's, squeezing softly, his eyes boring into the others, "I'll be right back. I promise…after that, I'll never leave you ever again."

Columbus nodded, his breath deep as he held fast against that hand, before it was slipped right from his fingers.

* * *

Albuquerque's hand shot up and wound itself into his hair, holding tight as his teeth ground together. His eyes were wild and wide, and he felt as though his heart was going to rip itself from his chest. The one chance he had for salvation, and what were they doing? They were ruining it, and right before his eyes. All his planning, and it was falling to pieces, right there….

"Hey, fucker!" Tallahassee jumped up onto the podium, his hands tight around the sawed off shotgun in his hand, hi eyes bearing into the others, "I see what you did to my friend over there."

"You mean lover, right?" Albuquerque smirked, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he leaned forward to stare the other in the eyes, "Oh, I shouldn't put it like that, should I? Since you've never fucked."

"Shut the fuck up." Tallahassee raised his gun to point it at the other man, his eyes wild with anger, "Just shut up before I blow your fucking face off."

"Oh, touchy?" Albuquerque's teeth showed as he smirked, taking a confident step forward, "He should be honored, that's why I chose him. The virgin body that has been untouched, that's what I was looking for. That, and he smelled just _amazing._"

Tallahassee threw his bigger gun to the side, surging forward and grabbing Albuquerque by the cuff of his shirt, reaching back and throwing his first forward and crashing into the man's nose, "shut the fuck up! The only one that is allowed to smell him is me; you got that, you fucking creep!"

Albuquerque giggled through the blood pouring down his chin, his mouth curving into a sick smile as his widened eyes centered on the man beating him into submission, "Yes, yes, that's it. Beat me until I don't know any better."

"What is your problem?" Tallahassee threw the man down, taking a step back and staring down at him, "First, you have the audacity to harm something that's mine. Then you take something that's mine. Then you do something like this? You'll pay."

"Oh, I'll pay?" Albuquerque let his head lull back and his eyes drifted shut, "Yes, I'll pay. If I can't even sacrifice the perfect subject, then I myself am the perfect subject."

"Oh, I'll be more than happy to kill you." Tallahassee reached into the waist band of his pants to get his small handgun, but there was a sudden loud bang, a sound that Tallahassee knew by heart.

Albuquerque was allowed one more smile before the side of his face erupted with blood, a small explosion going off in his skull as the bullet hit the bone, before exiting the other side, leaving a blood splatter that any blood pattern analyst would be proud of.

Tallahassee looked angrily over at the person holding the smoking handgun, his fists clenching.

And Two smiled, letting the gun clatter to the ground. Looking over at Tallahassee with a small shrug, he let a small sad smile play on his face, "he had it coming."

And that was something Tallahassee couldn't disagree on.

Two shook his head, "Man, that guy was fucking crazy."

* * *

When Tallahassee skid to a stop beside the two girls lying his Columbus softly on the ground, he fell to his knees and let his hands hover over the body. Seeing Columbus laying on the ground, not moving, eyes closed…he couldn't describe the feeling that welled up inside of him.

"Tall…?" Columbus let his eyes creak open slowly and he looked over at the other, his smile softly growing on his face, eyes meeting the soft green of the other man's, "Hi…."

"Hi." Tallahassee pressed the palms of his hands against the boy's cheeks, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against the other's, taking a deep breath, "Fuck, how do you get yourself into these things?"

"Very carefully." Columbus chuckled, but winced when something deep inside him jostled painfully, "You know…Thank you."

"Don't even say that." Tallahassee finally gave into his urges and pressed his lips tightly against the other's, reveling in the feel of those lips pressed against his and that hair between his fingers. He let go and bent down, pressing his face into Columbus's neck, taking a deep breath.

Columbus brought the man's face back up to his with soft fingers, eyes curious as he pressed another kiss onto those lips, "What are you doing?"

Tallahassee gratefully reciprocated those kisses, ignoring the boy's injuries for the time being. If the injuries were too bad, then Columbus would have said something. They weren't bad enough that Tallahassee couldn't sneak in a couple kisses in between.

"Smelling you." Tallahassee nuzzled the hair on Columbus's brow, taking a deep breath, "I want you to think of me every time you imagine someone smelling you. Not him."

Columbus rolled his eyes, looking fondly up at the other, "I don't want to imagine anyone smelling me, thanks."

"Yeah, but if you do." Tallahassee pressed another urgent and needy kiss to the boy's lips, "It's gonna be me."

* * *

**I'm sorry again for the late update! But here is the last installment of the Occult story! I really like how this one turned out, and I'm already thinking about another story that I could possibly post, but I kind of need to type it… thanks for reading, and reviews are love!**


	17. Boy Be Trippin'

Title: **Boy Be Trippin'**

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin'. You should know this by now. If I did, Wichita wouldn't exist and Tallahassee and Columbus would be goin at it like gorillas in the back of the hummer. All the time. Just sayin'.

Summary: Five times Columbus tripped and his face caught him, and one time Tallahassee did.

* * *

1.

It had been a relatively normal day, considering the circumstances. The sun was out, and in the soft breeze of the fall afternoon, it was almost nice to walk along the road to get gas. No one was too disappointed when the car ran out of gas, and came to a rolling stop, Tallahassee had only said a mere five swear words before jumping out. It was a nice day to be sure, when they could walk in this companionable silence that was usually accompanied with screaming of some sort.

Columbus yawned as he sauntered down the road, his gun hung loosely in his grip as he followed closely behind the hick that had become the leader of their group. It had mostly been a self-appointed role, but no one protested too much when he started making all the rules. Hell, Columbus was just glad that he wasn't the one who had to make the decisions. Smiling softly as the wind ruffled his hair, he closed his eyes to it, letting the soft breeze caress his skin.

"There's a gas station just up ahead." He heard Tallahassee murmur, bringing his gun closer to himself in fear that gas wasn't the only thing hidden in this small station. Columbus couldn't hold back another yawn, already making plans to fall asleep in the back of the truck when they got back.

They were somewhere near Montana, he thought, because the sky was so big that he had a hard time looking up at it. There were wide open planes, something they were used to seeing by now, and the only things that awaited them were trees and maybe an abandoned car. That's why it was a surprise to him when they found a gas station so close.

Wichita and Little Rock went into the gas station immediately, scoping it out with quick trained eyes that they'd gained over the months. Columbus chose to stick close to Tallahassee, following the man as they walked up to a gas pump, Columbus stuttering nervously and glancing around. No matter how long he'd spent in his hellhole that they now called their life, he was still nervous. All the time.

"Hey." Columbus murmured, taking a step closer to Tallahassee when the hick set down the gas canister, big enough to hold enough gas to get them back to said gas station in the car, and started to fill it. Columbus coughed, "Nice day?"

"Yeah, it is." Tallahassee murmured, glancing up with a sideways peer for only a second, before looking back down at the canister that was slowly filling up. He grunted, murmuring something under his breath about how Columbus's shoe was untied and such, making the kid wonder if he was really that gullible.

Columbus gulped again, shrugging and moving to lean against one of the support pillars, "I mean, it's really nice. We haven't seen a zombie in a while."

"Don't jinx it now, Collie." Tallahassee was smirking despite his words, and Columbus knew that the air about them and the day was a definite morale booster for the hick. Hell, it was for all of them. Days like this were rare.

Columbus gulped, "I was just thinking that maybe we could head up to Canada. I've always wanted to see Niagara Falls."

"Why the hell not?" Tallahassee wasn't often one to agree to something that didn't immediately benefit him, so Columbus shut his mouth and thanked whatever lord there was for this small blessing. Yet again, though, he thought too soon, "I hear that they have a shit load of twinkies there. They spent all their money on twinkies."

"I highly doubt that." Columbus laughed, happy to see Tallahassee so enlightened about something. Yet again, it was something rare.

As they made their way back to the car, a soft sheen of dark clouds going over the sky, Columbus glanced up into said huge expanse. He never knew that the simple lack of mountains could make the sky look bigger, but the difference was significant. But now, as they filled with dark clouds, cracking fizzling, ready to open up upon them, he got an eerie premonition. Rain and dark clouds never brought anything good, he knew that for sure.

Tallahassee apparently got the same idea, as he handed the gas canister to Wichita, sending her and her sister ahead to fill up the car. Looking around skeptically, Tallahassee looked back at Columbus, "Better hurry it up."

"Yeah, I got a bad feeling." Columbus agreed, starting off at a jog, seeing their hummer in the distance, the small pricks of color being Wichita and Little Rock already there. He smiled slightly, sighing in relief when he heard the first scream.

Of which was followed by gunshots coming from Tallahassee, making him turn his head to look, gasping as he saw thirty, maybe forty zombies coming head long at them. They were weaving through the fields of corn, bloodied mess making the corn husks dye red, their hands outstretched in want. Their soulless eyes searched for something, anything, that they could wrap their fingers around and dig their teeth into. This sight, the soulless and undead, never failed to send a shiver of fear down Columbus's spine.

It made him run a little quicker, too.

Their feet pounded against the pavement, and Tallahassee was first to reach the hummer, throwing open his door and throwing himself in. Columbus glanced over his shoulder, shooting haphazardly, to no avail as only one tripped and fell. Columbus groaned, both at the lack of skill he obtained, and the soft rain pellets attacking his head and shoulders. Sighing again, Columbus looked forward, already reaching out to the car no more than four feet in front of him, ready to hop into that warmth and high tail it outta dodge.

That was, until his foot was roughly jerked back, falling from under him. He knew immediately what it was, partially knowing the feeling of when one stepped on their own shoe laces, the tightening of the drawstring around his foot and the pull of the leg, he knew it. He just didn't want to admit he'd just done it.

And still, he almost didn't believe it up until his face connected with the door, pain radiating through his face as he continued his decent until he was splattered on the ground like another piece of trash. His legs were tangled behind him, his breath gone from his lungs, his face aching from it's previous reunion with the cold black door.

He could hear Tallahassee laughing his ass off, gasping for breath, even as he lay sprawled out on the ground outside the car.

"You comin'?" Little Rock stuck her head out the window, leaning down curiously as she spotted the boy lifeless on the ground, "That face plant was nice, and all, but there are a few guys comin' up quick."

"Give me a second to regain my dignity." Columbus pushed himself up slowly, reaching up and rubbing at his nose with a wince, relieved only slightly when he saw no blood.

Tallahassee only turned in his seat for a moment, giving a large smirk, "Collie, when did you have any to begin with?"

* * *

2.

The second time Columbus's face decided to hi-five the concrete, it was raining again. Tallahassee, yet again the instigator of their endeavors, had decided that it would be a good time to find a new car. He loved his hummer, almost too much, but he thought that the tires were going down a bit and the shocks were going out, not to mention all but two windows were broken through. Too much driving crazily through fields and over zombie corpses. Needless to say, they'd pulled into a auto mall within the next ten minutes after he made his mind up.

"Hey, do you think Little Rock and I could have our own car?" Wichita mused as she ran her hand over a silver mustang, her body trembling in desire to drive it. She'd always been a car buff, and muscle cars never failed in sending a ripple down her spine.

Columbus, on the other hand, didn't share her enthusiasm. He thought cars all looked the same, and the only difference between them was the body color. That's why when Tallahassee walked immediately over to the SUV's, he rolled his eyes and followed, gun clutched tightly in his hands, "You aren't going to spend two hours here like last time, right? It's raining like crazy."

"Hey, shut the fuck up." Tallahassee stopped next to a white suburban, musing mildly on how blood would look on it, "A man's car is an extension of his own body. I need to take as much care finding a car as I do with myself."

Columbus rolled his eyes again, glancing over his shoulder through the pouring rain to see Wichita and Little Rock climbing into said Mustang she was drooling over, hot-wiring it in a matter of seconds before tearing it down the road. They'd left most of their things, but Columbus still had an edge of worry that they wouldn't come back.

"This one's beautiful." Tallahassee's voice made Columbus look back in his direction, watching as the hick ran his hands carefully over the body of a large truck, his voice low, smirking as he continued to caress the deep navy blue Ford.

A foreign feeling of jealousy stung in Columbus's chest as he watched Tallahassee's interaction with the truck. Well, he couldn't really call it foreign anymore. He'd come to the realization not too long ago that he felt something a bit more than friendship for the Floridian, and every time he saw the hick act this way, he felt that familiar pang in his body. He couldn't believe he felt jealous over a car, but yet again, he couldn't believe he'd felt jealous over a number all those weeks ago. Every time Tallahassee painted that '3' on the doors of their new car, Columbus couldn't look at him for the rest of the day. He knew why Tallahassee did it, and that's why Columbus felt so horrible for being jealous.

Would Tallahassee ever look at him that way? Run his hands carefully over Columbus's body, caressing it, treating him like he was spun gold or the finest porcelain. Would Tallahassee remember him when he died? Would he add a '20' after the '3'? Columbus doubted it, seeing as Tallahassee did't care much about anything other than a big gun, a big car, and twinkies. Hell, the guy probably wouldn't even care.

Columbus groaned as he fell deeper and deeper into his own self-wallowing, reaching up to run a hand through his already soaked hair.

"You depressed cuz your hair's comin' un-permed?" Tallahassee looked up, over at Ohio, just in time to see the kid sigh and muss with his hair, of which Tallahassee took literally, "We're almost done here, ya spit-fuck, don't be gettin' down cuz of the weather jus yet."

Columbus just groaned again, knowing that he was going to be sighing and groaning a lot, and not in the good way. He only wished that the only reason he was so down was because his hair was un-permed. And, just to put the record straight, he didn't have a perm. His hair was naturally curly. He'd tried to tell the Floridian that, but he'd just been laughed at, again.

"Im going to wait outside." Columbus murmured, rubbing his hand on his pants nervously. He was too depressed and love-struck to sit here and talk to the man, of which he knew would be painting a fresh and clean '3' on their new car when he found it. That thought alone struck something in Columbus that he didn't want to admit. He bit his lip, "One thing the old car's good for is keeping me out of the rain."

When he'd reached the outside of the gate, he leaned against it, foregoing his idea to get back in the hummer. He was already soaking, and he liked listening and smelling the rain, it was almost calming. It was a warm rain, but there was enough of it to soak him to the bone. Wichita would probably want to find a safe house, so he'd just change when he got there. It was almost like a shower, this rain, and he found himself tilting his head to it. It was calming and nice, not the usual depressing cold as ice rain that they were used to.

He could imagine Tallahassee laughing at him, telling him that rain was rain, ain't no difference between 'em. Columbus smiled fondly despite it all.

Columbus was shook from his musing by a loud whoop, making him jump and turn to look, handgun (of which had been tucked nicely in his waistband) already at the ready. He looked up to see the Silver Mustang screeching down the road toward him, windows rolled down and Little Rock and Wichita laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs, easily doing over a hundred.

Think they would have slowed it down a little, considering the rain. Which was exactly what Columbus was thinking when he saw the tires jiggle and slip, hydroplaning over the water, causing the car to jerk to the side. It was when the car started doing donuts in the middle of the road that Columbus realized that something truly may be wrong, and when that spinning metal death trap from hell started careening toward him, he knew that maybe allowing Wichita behind the wheel of a very fast turbo engine Mustang probably wasn't the best idea.

"Fuck!" Columbus turned around, scrambling up the gate he had before been leaning on, climbing up and over the slippery metal, hearing the screeching of car tires. It was a small gate, just like the ones many had around their houses, so he thought it would be easy to jump over it and head out of the direct path of the ricocheting death machine.

Apparently the gate had other ideas.

As he made the last jump to get over the gate, last leap to freedom, he felt his body jerked again. He was feeling deja vu, almost, as he felt his leg violently jerked from under him, just barely able to see his soaking pant leg caught on one of the spikes above the gate. The metal going through the denim had a loose grip, thoroughly catching it but ripping as he fell. His leg caught and gravity sent the rest of his body swinging toward the ground. Columbus didn't even have the time to scream, before he was thrown bodily into the gate, his pant let finally ripping with the momentum just in time for his face to meld with the ground.

Neck twisting awkwardly as his body followed suit over his head, it connected with the ground and splashing in the puddles. Rain pattered down on his aching face, his aching neck, his aching torso, his aching everything. He absently heard the car the girls were driving come to a screeching halt, only tapping the fence a few feet away from where he'd hit. He could hear their laughter through the windows, much like before, but he was slightly happier to hear that it wasn't Tallahassee laughing at him this time.

"Way to overreact, Ohio." Wichita laughed, but there was an edge to her voice that told him she had been scared, too, "I had complete control."

He snorted, seeing from his upside-down peripheral as Tallahassee came walking up, his hips twisting and weaving in his usual Floridian saunter, cowboy boots clicking against the concrete, and Columbus thought for just a moment that Tallahassee would help him up. He would reach down, their hands would connect and maybe Tallahassee would feel the same thing, maybe he was feeling that they could be something more than friends.

"You trip again?" Tallahassee just stared down at him, raising an eyebrow and cocking his hips to the side.

More than friends, Columbus thought in distain. He hardly believed that they were friends in the first place. Groaning, Columbus flipped around and got ready to push himself up, a dread filling his stomach again as the rain pattered around his battered hands.

* * *

3.

Columbus reached down swiftly, grabbing around his calf and lifting it, pulling his knee to his chest and pausing. He could practically feel the other's roll their eyes at his actions, but he absolutely refused to go down this embankment without Limbering Up. It wasn't his choice to go down the steep incline to the Cottonwood Mall, all because Wichita and Little Rock were female and wanted more clothing, so they had to wait while he did his part. If he had to go down there, then they had to wait for him.

"Damn, Spit Fuck, what part about me being here don't you understand?" Tallahassee threw his shotgun to rest on his shoulder, leaning on one foot as he regarded Columbus with slightly more annoyance then he usually did, "I'll be there to kill anything before it gets to you, got it? You don't need to run fast."

"How kind." Columbus murmured, rolling his eyes back at the hick before reaching for his other leg, lifting it up as well and stretching it tight against his chest. He lowered his leg to the ground and rolled his shoulders around, squatting to the ground a couple times for good measure, "Because I'll take that into consideration when you're yelling for me to hurry the hell up."

"Hey, I said you didn't need to run fast." Tallahassee countered, "Most of the time you run like a fucking pussy, so I can't help but shoot the zombies on behalf that you'd be too easy to get."

"I'm so happy you're watching out for me." Columbus rolled his neck around once more, before shaking his limbs out and nodding toward the girls, who had been wound as tight as a spring. At the simple nod of his head, they sprung open, tearing down the embankment and sprinting over the concrete leading toward the mall. Tallahassee let them have their fun for the time being, seeing as they both had their weapons on them and there wasn't a zombie in sight.

"See? Look that that." He motioned toward the girls already a couple yards away, giving Columbus a look, "They aren't even being chased and they run faster than you."

"That's not a fair comparison, me to some girls running after clothing." Columbus stepped over a fallen shopping cart, jumping over a pothole, and coming down on the flat concrete, "Nothing runs faster then girls after clothing."

"Point taken."

A canned symphonic version of 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin was playing over the sound system, the empty tune playing over the halls. Columbus could hear the girl's laughter echoing over the tiles of the walls. There were various stores to either side of them, the stereotypical American Eagle, Pacsun, Hot Topic, Bath and Body Works, all the usual worth mentioning, all of which the girls had to check out. Columbus sent a forlorn look toward Gamestop, but he didn't bother going in. He didn't want to look like even more of a geek in front of Tallahassee, and it wasn't like he'd be able to play any type of game any time soon.

"Slow the fuck down!" Tallahassee called out to the girls, who by now had made their way into an Abercrombie & Fitch, holding various bags of goodies. That was another good thing about Zombieland, the whole not needing to pay for anything. Currency was useless now.

Columbus slowed a bit, looking around and trying to take in the familiar view of the mall. He came here every once in a while with his parents, although they were social shut ins. They needed to come to the mall to get clothes just as much as any other person, but he'd never spent more than an hour in this place. It was full of people, full of life at the time when his parents brought him. At the time, he didn't like it. He disliked it as much as they did, but now? He'd give anything just to see this place full of people that weren't completely fucked up.

Musing lightly to himself, Columbus tapped on the glass of a window display, looking at the colors and designs of the Spring Catalog they were portraying in the window. Was it Spring when Zombieland started? He couldn't remember exactly, seeing as that had been well over a year ago.

"Stop being sentimental, ya Spit Fuck!" Tallahassee called after him, turning after descending a few steps to the lower part of the mall, of which the girls were excitedly going over what they'd just bought while sitting down at a table in the food court. They had a couple loaves of bread and some fresh sandwich stuff, so they all agreed in stopping for a minute.

Columbus shook his head and internally agreed with Tallahassee. What was he kidding? He didn't fucking care wether it was Spring or Summer or whatever when Zombieland started.

Turning and making his way over to where the others were, he rubbed his hand on his pants nervously, wondering absently why on earth he was thinking about things so deeply? It wasn't really like him to be so sentimental. He snorted as he started descending the stairs. Screw the past, he needed to think about the here and now. True, he did think about his parents a lot, and thinking about them got him depressed at times, but he couldn't let that get in the way of his concentration -

Columbus let out a soft yelp as his foot was viscously ripped from under him, his arms flailing about as he desperately tried to grab one of the hand rails next to him. He only got a minuscule glance at the offending puddle of water resting calmly on the step, before his body painfully collided with the steps, face first. Pain erupted from every pore as his face practically flattened against the step, the rest of his body rolling head over heels as he slammed every possible body part into the stairs, crying out in pain at every terrible collision.

As he came to a halting and excruciating stop at the base of the stairs, he thought that at least this time was better than the other times he tripped, because this time Tallahassee was worried. He could hear the other call out his name, and he could see the blurry image of a cowboy hat.

"Columbus!" Tallahassee's voice was laced with amusement, but he wouldn't admit it was to hide his obvious worry. When he'd seen Columbus slip on the stairs feet behind him, it was as if it were moving in slow motion. Not just zombies could kill you in Zombieland, and that fact was blatantly clear when Columbus tumbled down the steps.

When he heard the boy groan and shift on the ground, he took that as a chance to cover up his embarrassing worry with a laugh.

"Well, there was a puddle of water there, Lassie." Tallahassee patted Columbus on the shoulder, at least that's what he was hoping the other thought it was. Helping the other up really didn't look good on his reputation.

Columbus groaned as he sat, his whole body shaking from nausea and dizziness, pain surrounding his entire form, "Thanks for warning me before hand, Tallahassee. Just confirmed the fact that you're always watching my back."

"You're welcome." Tallahassee smirked, "Now come on, the girls want to go to The Gap. You'll find something you want there, right, ya spit fuck?"

* * *

4.

They were walking down a street. Not any particular street worth mentioning. No one was talking, they were all musing in their own thoughts. And Columbus just kind of...tripped. They were expecting it really, the kid tended to have a clumsy streak as of late, so when they heard his cry followed shortly by a loud thump and a groan, they only glanced back a second to see him sprawled on the ground.

It really wasn't worth mentioning, Columbus thought bitterly to himself. That's why he didn't think it was worth going into detail about. Just tripping in the middle of the road, when there was nothing really to trip on, no table, no fence, no loose shoelace...he just kind of tripped on air.

Wichita snorted, Little Rock laughed outright, and Tallahassee fondly rolled his eyes.

Yep, definitely not worth going into detail about.

* * *

5.

Columbus yawned as he stretched his back, arching it over the cushions of the couch he was currently laying on, hearing his spine crack from mistreatment. It was a lazy day, of which he'd spent the majority laying on the couch doing absolutely nothing, and particularly liking it. Wichita and Little rock had taken their new car down into the town, seeing that they'd passed it earlier and there had been many places for them to shop for all kinds of new clothing. Tallahassee had been on Columbus's side in saying that he could really care less about designer clothing, and they'd decided to stay at this humble abode. They were going to leave early tomorrow morning, but it was nice for the time being, staying and lazing about like they were normal.

He couldn't really account for Tallahassee right now, seeing as the hick had announced that he wanted to go target shooting for a while. That had been about two hours ago, but Columbus could still hear the muffled pops as the man reloaded and shot in the back-yard, and that alone was soothing enough for him, and as disturbing as it sounded, it was what had made him fall asleep in the first place. Just knowing that the Floridian was in the backyard, protecting him, even though he was sure that wasn't what Tallahassee would call it.

Yawning again, Columbus wondered if there was anything to eat in the kitchen. When they'd gotten here, they wasted no time getting everything in, and Little Rock liked the homey touches of putting the few items of food they had in the cabinets. It was nice to be able to go into the kitchen and have to look for the food like normal people.

Columbus scoffed at the word, sitting up and rubbing down his hair, fixing the odd frizz that came with sleeping. What was normal, anyways? It was normal, now, to fight zombies everyday and have a crazy hick shooting soda cans in the backyard, that was normal. He couldn't remember the time when going to college every day, struggling through finals, playing WOW for hours on end every weekend, and generally not having a life was normal. Fuck normal, he chuckled cynically to himself.

Walking into the kitchen with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, Columbus shrugged, knocking off the last bits of sleep still clinging to his shoulders, making them stiff. Grabbing a loaf of bread from a cabinet, he opened a can of SPAM from the cabinet next to it, making a makeshift guilty pleasure. Wichita hated SPAM, saying it was way too salty, but Columbus loved it. Not to the ratio of how much Tallahassee loved Twinkies, but Columbus doubted that he loved anything as much as that man loved Twinkies. But given the chance... Columbus sighed as he caught the image of said hick out the back window. He was sure he could surprise even himself.

Chomping down on his salty manwich of goodness, he walked out the back door, jumping slightly when he was greeted with the loud bang of a shotgun. He was supposed to be used to the sound, for sure, but he still flinched every time he heard gunshots. If you'd told him this time last year that he'd be eating a SPAM sandwich and watching a hick shoot guns in a world infested by zombies...well, Columbus probably would have said that was cool and all, and that they should publish that book.

"What'cha watchin', Lassie?" Tallahassee glanced over his shoulder absently when he heard the body come out of the house, only watching for a second before going to load his gun. Columbus shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich and taking a deep breath of the midday air, the sky above his head shining and beautiful. He really enjoyed that rule, enjoy the little things. He never really looked at the sky when he was cooped up in his dorm room.

He jumped again when Tallahassee shot his shotgun once more, knocking down another section of the gate. Columbus was ready to tell the hick not to knock down the gate, as it was one thing that was keeping the zombies at bay, at least for a while, but he let the man have his fun. Enjoying the little things wasn't just for Columbus. He smiled and turned around, making his way back into the house, "Tell me when the girls get back, okay? I'm going to go lay down."

"You've been laying down all day, Columbus." Tallahassee called after him, laughter in his voice as he watched the boy go inside. Columbus knew that he'd been sleeping all day, laying down and lazing about, but they'd been running and on the road for the past whole week, he needed a little bit of laziness.

Walking past the kitchen and back into the living room, Columbus sighed at the image of the musty dusty room, smiling. It was nice. Walking back to the couch, he yawned again, before he shuffled to lay down.

The familiar feeling of panic and a incredulous disbelief coursed through him when he felt his calf slam against the edge of the coffee table, having mildly forgotten that it was there in the first place. Pain radiated from his shin as his body followed suit, his arms waving around in an attempt to catch himself. The ground was coming nearer, but not only the ground, but the edge of the table.

Crying out mildly, Columbus's temple slammed onto the edge of the table, his body twisting and wedging in between the couch and the table, leaving him to groan in his agony. His head throbbed terribly, and he felt the slight warmth of blood as it dribbled down his temple. Head spinning, he reached up to grasp the edge of the table, but only managing to lift his hand a foot before it dropped to the ground. His body was weak, shaken, and his head was throbbing in tune with his calf.

"Columbus!"

Looking up absently, he barely caught sight of the burly man, his chest heaving almost as much as Columbus's own. If Columbus didn't know any better, he would have thought the man was worried. His eyes were wide and frantic, sweat pouring down his chest, and his hands were tight around his shotgun, ready to fire. He looked shaken...concerned, almost. Columbus chuckled to himself. Concerned? Man, he must have a concussion.

"I tripped, hit my head against the table." Groaning as he sat up, Columbus chuckled, reaching up to tenderly touch the wound, wincing, "Guess that puts my resting plans in the gutter. I think I have a concussion."

Before he could think twice, Columbus felt a second set of fingers gently prodding at his head, Tallahassee kneeling in front of him as he stared deeply into the wound. Columbus gulped as he felt the warmth roll off the larger man, his breath tickling against Columbus's hair, soft and sweet, and his fingers were much more careful and delicate as they pressed against the blood.

"Talla...?" Columbus gulped, looking up slightly, only to see the Floridian retreat.

Tallahassee had a weird look on his face when he chose to walk away, his eyes swirling in an emotion that he wasn't sure he recognized, and his hands rubbing together. He spoke, but it wasn't as harsh as usual, "Careful next time, Lassie."

Columbus sighed. Screw this idea, he was going back to sleep. He was getting hallucinations or something. Never would Tallahassee ever tell him to be careful, not if he wasn't dreaming.

* * *

**Tallahassee...caught him?**

"Why do you call me Lassie?" Columbus picked up a random box of cupcakes, checking the nutrition facts, before setting them back down on the shelf. The PA system above them was still working, never turned off after zombies ravaged the place, so there was still a random 80's song playing over the store. Columbus didn't like it, seeing as it made one more thing between them and hearing the zombies coming for them, but Wichita had loved it, and immediately went dancing through the isles with Little Rock in her wake.

Tallahassee raised an eyebrow as he added another box of twinkies to the cart he was currently filling, a unwrapped sugary fluff of goodness already half gone in his hand, and three or four wrappers littering the ground. He snorted, "Well, I used to call you Collie, cuz' of Columbus, ya' know? Then I'm like, yer like a dog. You always follow me around n' shit, and yer cute like a dog, I guess. And Collie is a type a' dog, right? So I wann'ta start callin' you Lassie."

Columbus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was he hearing correct? Tallahassee thought he was some kind of dog? Hands gripping his shotgun even tighter, he stalked around to in front of Tallahassee, his eyes alight in flame and anger, his hands nearly shaking. He was used to being called weak, or frail, or a wimp, or even a geek, but he was never called a dog before. He didn't just go around, looking for any way to please people! He was completely independent, people could rely on him, he wasn't some stupid dog that his entire life was to follow people's beck and call! He thought, that with this whole Zombieland thing, people would start to understand that. He could be depended upon.

He thought, of all people, Tallahassee could see that.

"I'm not some dog!" Columbus shouted, raising his leg and kicking fiercely at the cart full with twinkies, watching as it toppled to the ground, spilling it's contents.

Tallahassee had fire in his eyes, his jaw set and mouth forming a thin line as he watched the boy kick over the cart, "Don't push me. You have a death wish?"

"Apparently so, because you just think I'm some useless dog!" Columbus shouted, not seeing the look in Tallahassee's eyes. Even if he did, he'd probably mis-read it anyway, in his seething anger. Stamping his foot down angrily on a box of twinkies, Columbus ground it into the tile under their feet, before turning around to stalk away, "I'm as useless as Lassie now, right? Go find Timmy in the fucking well!"

Hands shoved deeply in his pockets, Columbus hunched into himself as he walked away, passing through the isles and exiting through the main enterance, the chime dinging as he exited. He could hear Tallahassee's angry voice call out behind him, telling him to get his ass back here, but he couldn't very well turn back now. He'd just yelled at the love of his life, he couldn't turn back now with his dignity.

Love of his life? That alone made Columbus stop. Did he really think about Tallahassee like that? Love was a strong word, especially in Zombieland. You couldn't just go throwing around your emotions like that, especially when that certain four letter word was the emotion. Sure, Columbus liked Tallahassee. Just thinking about the hick made Columbus's insides melt, his heart beat a little faster, and his blood feel like molten lava in his veins. He liked to think of the times when Tallahassee protected him, because it made him feel all warm inside, even when it was cold and dreary out. Whenever he was around the Floridian, he felt as though everything would be alright, everything would be okay and nothing would ever harm him.

Oh, fuck! Columbus brought his hands up to bury his face into his palms, groaning and walking even faster, shaking his head. How could he be more stupid? Falling for perhaps the least accessible human being left on the planet. Not to mention another guy. Columbus knew he was gay when he entered college and had to submit a transfer dorm paper because he kept having wet dreams about his roommate. But having a school-girl crush on a gun wielding hick from Florida was by far and away the craziest thing he'd done in his considerably short life.

It was probably for the better. Distance himself now before he got even further into this strange attraction he had for the other man, and hurt himself or maybe even both of them. He snorted again. Scratch that, he doubted that anything he could do would hurt the man.

"Columbus!"

Jumping nearly out of his skin, he turned around to the voice, thinking of the irony that that the man he'd previously been thinking about was running for him. Columbus's heart thumped deeply for a second at the thought that maybe the other was coming to check up on him. But when he saw the maybe thirty zombies behind the man, he knew that his hope had been very, very farfetched.

But that was for the better, as well. If Tallahassee had truly been running to check on him, then Columbus probably would have fallen even deeper in this strange love that he wasn't sure he liked.

"Run, you fucker!" Tallahassee's rough voice cut into his senses, his body tense and his muscles twisting in his exertion under his sinfully tight shirt, even as he ran past Columbus, sweeping down and taking the star-struck Columbus's hand as he ran, dragging the boy with him and away from the swarm. He jerked the kid closer, hand tight against the other's fingers, "Hurry, spit-fuck!"

Columbus stumbled after, unconsciously wrapping his fingers around the others, his face burning. Tallahassee was holding his hand. Tallahassee was holding his hand. Zombies were chasing them, seeking out their blood, to eat their skin for breakfast, to gobble their intestines, and all Columbus could concentrate on was how Tallahassee's hand felt wrapped around his. Zombies were normal, now. What wasn't normal was how Columbus felt he could die at that moment and he would be alright, because his last moment was of Tallahassee holding his hand.

Oh, fuck, again! Columbus groaned, stumbling over his own feet as he tried to rid his mind of the stupid stupid thoughts in his head.

Columbus allowed himself to be roughly pulled along as Tallahassee turned onto a residential street, the cookie cutter houses lining each side. The streets were covered in blood, the usual sight, and Tallahassee pulled him even more roughly as their feet threatened to slip from under them. The screeching behind them grew louder as the zombies neared them, and Columbus could only hope that the girls had gotten away.

Tallahassee roughly pulled the two of them into a relatively clean house, throwing the door open roughly and turning around in one swift movement, throwing the door closed just as the thump of a zombie hit the other side, it's screeching and moaning voice going through the barrier of the door, it's scrabbling hands trying to gain purchase on the blood-stained wood.

As an afterthought, Tallahassee threw the lock closed, before turning around to quickly survey the house. If there had been any zombies in here beforehand, they most likely would have been there already, ready to eat the thing that had so rudely barged into their home.

Columbus couldn't even get a word out before Tallahassee pushed past him, withdrawing a handgun from the waistband of his pants, checking the house. Columbus watched as he weaved through the hallways, raising a hand and carding his fingers through his hair. How much of a fuck up was he? To get all emotional like that over a fucking name? He was a spit fuck, just like Tallahassee kept calling him. He was the type of person who would get upset over a nick name in the middle of a zombie outbreak.

He was such a fucking idiot.

Walking into the living room, Columbus placed a hand tiredly over his eyes, rubbing them and sighing at the slight sting. He was too tired for this. His legs were jelly under him as he walked into the living room. Tallahassee would no doubt radio the girls in a moment, and they'd probably stay here for the night before leaving again in the morning. As long as they were already here, he might as well take a well deserved nap on the couch. His head was pounding and he wanted nothing more than to fall into a deep slumber.

Gravity had other plans as his ankle slammed into the step to get into the living room, his mind just barely realizing that this was one of those stupid houses with an extra step to get to the living room. He didn't even bother to scream this time, and he was just too damn tired to even wave his arms about in a desperate attempt to catch himself. He knew he wouldn't, he hadn't the other times, so what was the point now? It felt a little strange, just allow himself to fall to the ground, watching the hardwood come closer and closer. His body felt like lead as he fell, and he maybe thought that once he finally connected with the ground, that maybe he'd just take his nap there. Maybe his fall would knock him out and save him the humiliation of having to apologize to Tallahassee.

That was, until a warm arm wrapped around his waist, effectively catching him and pining him against a warm chest. There was a soft chuckle, and another arm wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him in the warm embrace, "I think you've tripped enough for five people, Lass-, I mean, Columbus."

Columbus glanced up, a bewildered and confused look probably on his face. Not only did Tallahassee just catch him and hold him, but the man had just stopped himself from calling Columbus 'Lassie'. He was doing something for the other's benefit?

Columbus smiled, shrugging and turning into Tallahassee's embrace, looking up at him, "Hey...I'm sorry. You can call me whatever the fuck you want."

"Yeah, I know." Tallahassee rose an eyebrow, not even letting his hold on the other budge a millimeter, "Now. You can do something to repay me for being horribly mean."

Columbus tilted his head to the side, already squirming in the other's hold. If the man didn't want anything to come of their relationship, which the hick had already made blatantly clear, then he needed to let go quick or Columbus would get his hopes up. He chuckled, raising an eyebrow and carefully putting a hand on Tallahassee's chest, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Just...stay still, Lassie."

Columbus gaped for only a moment when Tallahassee leaned forward carefully and pressed their lips together, emotion and pleasure surging through both of their bodies. Their lips melded together, and Columbus couldn't hold back a small moan in the back of his throat, which made Tallahassee hold him closer.

This was probably the one moment in his entire life that he was grateful for tripping, as long as Tallahassee was there to catch him.

Yeah, the kiss was good too.

* * *

**I'm sorry for the super long wait for an update. But at least this one is a bit longer then all the rest, and if you're all super nice...there might be a citrusy treat waiting for you within the next chapter. A certain yellow citrusy treat.**


	18. Hide and Seek

Title: Hide and Seek

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: This doesn't belong to me.

Summary: It was a dark day, dark and misty, so much so that they couldn't see five feet in front of them. So it was only a matter of time before one of them got lost. But why, for the love of god, did it have to be Columbus?

* * *

Columbus moaned deep in his throat as Tallahassee's hand continued to stroke at his manhood, his mouth occupied by the other's, his shirt open and revealing his bare chest, of which Tallahassee was having a good time pressing and doing wonderful things to his nipples. His own hands were occupied as well, as he desperately tried to reciprocate what the other man was doing to him, having to use both hands to squeeze and stroke Tallahassee's length, loving the sounds he was drawing from the other.

"Talla..." Columbus threw his head back against the window of the car, crying out as Tallahassee stroked particularly slowly, slowly swiping his thumb against the tip of his cock, "Tallahassee!"

"Columbus..." Tallahassee groaned and thrust into Columbus's hands, licking and nipping at Columbus's neck, one hand moving up from his ministrations against Columbus's chest to gently cup the back of the other's neck, pressing kiss after kiss along the boy's jaw and neck. He smirked when Columbus gave another beautiful careening cry, "Come for me."

"Tallahassee...!" Columbus breathed out wantonly, the pleasure building up inside him, building up to the point where he couldn't stand it. Groaning, he brought his head back down to look into Tallahassee's eyes, kissing him messily. His pleasure spiked as Tallahassee swiped his thumb again, his own fingers trying to do the same thing, but his mind suddenly went still with pleasure, crying out Tallahassee's name loudly as he came.

Tallahassee felt Columbus's fingers masterfully bring him to the edge, and the final breaking point was seeing Columbus's face and hearing his own name cried out, making him say Columbus's name in a groan as he came to his own release.

Their breath mingled as Tallahassee chuckled, kissing Columbus soundly again, his tongue swiping in the other's mouth before he pulled back slightly, his fingers still pressing against the other's cheek. He smirked as he watched Columbus try to catch his breath, "Well, I can get used to that."

"You're telling me." Columbus smiled, but there was still a hint of a blush over his cheeks, even as he moved forward and pressed a shy kiss to Tallahassee's lips, "Got something to clean up?"

Tallahassee didn't even answer as he reached down swiftly, bringing back an old towel, rubbing himself down quickly. He wiped his hands off as well, before turning to Columbus and carefully drying off each finger, of which he licked clean just in case. He swiped over Columbus's body carefully, before doing the boy's pants back up and pulling them up to a seated position.

Tallahassee brushed some of Columbus's hair back and behind his ear, unknowing that he just made Columbus melt in his seat. He was already leaning in for another kiss on those delicious lips when there was a sudden loud tapping against the window, making Tallahassee unconsciously scoot a bit closer to the other and glare over his shoulder.

"You guys can fuck later!" Wichita huffed with her arms crossed over her chest, rolling her eyes as she pulled at the door, the sudden gust of cold wind making Columbus shiver. She rolled her eyes again at their position. She was glad she'd knocked at the breath-fogged windows before she pulled open the door or who knows what she would've seen. God, she'd only taken Little Rock to a bathroom off the side of the freeway for two seconds and they were already going at it like bunnies.

Tallahassee smirked at her annoyance. He could still hear Columbus crying for him to stop it, because the girls would be back any second. His Collie was so cute when he was fretting that someone was going to find them giving each other hand jobs.

"Little Rock needs a tampon." Wichita said to no one in particular as she pulled up her bag and reached in the front pocket, ignoring the two occupant's groans, "How fucked up is it that she's getting her period now? It could have at least waited until we got to a house or something."

"How fucked up is it that you're actually telling us Little Rock is on her period?" Columbus smirked, raising his arm and placing it on the back of the seat, then resting his head on his bicep, sighing happily. He had to act upset in order to not let Wichita onto the fact that he'd just had a spectacular orgasm, but he couldn't fight the smile off his face.

Wichita shoved the girl products into her coat pocket, sending Columbus a particularly heated glare, before turning and walking off with a flick of her middle finger over her shoulder. Tallahassee gave a loud snort, before turning and hopping out of the car, shimmying into his jeans a bit more before zipping them up.

Columbus hopped out next to him, yawning and stretching his arms high above his head. Glancing toward Tallahassee, he smirked, "So I guess we're going to be cooped up in a house for the next couple days?"

"Fuck, I dunno." Tallahassee leaned against the car, "I don't know how long the girls go through their PMS."

Columbus snorted, surveying the air around them. It was thick with smog and mist, barely making them able to see the small bathroom about thirty feet away from them. They were on the edge of a steep incline leading toward a valley with trees and mountains. It was just so damn foggy that they could barely see any of the trees, so Tallahassee was on edge about it. He wanted to get out of this fog as soon as possible, and this little pit stop for Little Rock, while eventful in it's own right, kept them from getting to where they could see. He shivered, his breath puffing out in front of him. Not only was it foggy, it was damn cold.

A sudden scream broke out from deep within the thick mist in front of them, the high pitch of the voice telling them exactly who it was. Hearts effectively in their throats, they pushed off the car at the same time, breaking out into a sprint toward the bathroom. They both knew that they shouldn't have stopped when the fog was so thick, when there was such low visibility. Something was bound to go wrong, and they knew the instant they heard Little Rock's scream that it had.

"Little Rock!" Columbus skidded to a stop in front of the bathroom, his hands tight in fists, desperately wishing he'd remembered to grab his shotgun from the seat of the car, "Wichita!" He heard Tallahassee come to a skidding stop behind him.

"I can't believe you told them I was on my period!" Little Rock screeched at her sister, her face alight in rage, eyes hazed over in her anger. She shoved Wichita away, only managing to get her sister two feet away at most, before huffing and crossing her arms, "Now they know! Thanks!"

Columbus heard Tallahassee groan behind him, muttering something under his breath that consisted of more swears than regular words, making Columbus chuckle to himself. He snorted louder when Little Rock's look of astonishment grew when she realized the two men were there, taking audience to her moment of womanly shame.

Shifting to the side slightly, Columbus groaned and rolled his shoulders, wincing at the slight twinge.

"Shoulder still hurtin'?" Tallahassee asked softy, reaching up and rubbing tenderly at the sore spot, looking at Columbus with an air of protectiveness.

Columbus nodded, sighing happily when those fingers worked away the most part of the pain, "I don't get it. I keep sleeping on it wrong, but I thought it'd be gone by now."

It'd happened last week. They'd been running from zombies as usual, the norm of their daily existence, but when there had been a few more of the undead creatures then they'd planned for. They were running through a supermarket, shoving carts into the dead bodies with glee. They were tired afterward, due to the extreme amount of K-mart shoppers they had been submitted to, so Columbus didn't see the half-zombie torso climbing along the ground which grabbed him on the ankle. Tallahassee had immediately killed the thing, and went to help Columbus up, but Columbus had already fallen on his shoulder, jarring it and making him cry out in pain. And, of course, Tallahassee hadn't let the boy out of the car for the next three hours, nor out of his arms.

Columbus smiled sheepishly, shrugging despite the pain it caused his shoulder, "Shoulda been watching out, right?"

"No, I shoulda been watching out for you." Tallahassee pursed his lips at the pained look in his Columbus's eyes, his fingers working away what pain they could. He pursed his lips, tilting his head back toward the car, "Lets go back to the car."

Columbus was about to nod, his heart fluttering wildly at Tallahassee's show of affection. Who would have thought that a man from Florida would make his weak and withdrawn heart thump so? He didn't think it was possible, this gruff man feeling soft for him. He was slightly ashamed of himself, making this strong and self-confident hick feel soft and protective, especially over a geeky college student like him, but Columbus found he didn't mind so much nowadays.

So, he was going to nod, agreeing to go back to the car where he was going to be doted on. Tallahassee would probably insist on seeing the shoulder, which he would rub for a while, then they would snuggle. That's another thing, he didn't want to use Tallahassee and 'snuggle' in the same sentence, they just didn't mesh, but he just loved it so much! Every time he'd think of Tallahassee's manliness and snuggling he'd feel bad, but the second he was in those arms he wouldn't care.

So, back to the car it was.

Well, that was what he was going to do if fate didn't decide to announce that it wanted a change of pace. As he went to step toward Tallahassee, a shy smile on his face, his feet shifted under him, before the ground eventually disappeared altogether. He barely had time to spare a wide-eyed glance toward Tallahassee before he fell, his arms flailing.

Columbus tumbled down the hill, crying out as nearly every part of his body was thrashed and torn. He could faintly hear Tallahassee screaming down after him, but it was quickly overridden by the sound of branches breaking as he tumbled down, further and further. The snow covering the side of the mountain took most of the blows, so the tumble was merely bruising, not breaking. As he made a final jarring stop, he could barely breathe.

At least it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. When he began his descent, he thought that he'd be lying in a heap of his own blood, crying out in pain. There was no blood staining the white snow, and nothing was stabbing him in pain, so there probably wasn't anything broken. As he gasped for breath his lungs desperately needed, his head throbbed painfully, shaking his whole body. The silence around him was defining, breaking through his skin like the fog around him. Nothing hurt way too much, except for his shoulder, which throbbed and stung like a thousand zombie bites, and he didn't even know how he could make that connection. He wasn't too hurt, but he'd be bruised and sore for at least a week.

He could only smile in thought of Tallahassee's reaction to all this. He'd never let Columbus take a step without his permission again.

Sitting up slowly, Columbus rubbed the back of his head, groaning when his shoulder jarred painfully. That was definitely not good. The pain was almost numbing, but the cold of the snow dug into his skin enough that it dulled the pain, thankfully.

Glancing up, he took a deep shuddering breath when the only thing that met him was deep, deep fog and slowly fluttering snow.

* * *

"Columbus!" Tallahassee shifted further down the steep incline, his pulse racing as he grappled onto another tree further down, his feet threatening to slip from under him, "Columbus! Fuck, shit!" He looked around him for another tree to grab onto so he could slide further down the incline, "Columbus!"

"Tallahassee!" Wichita called down, her hands shaking, "Get the fuck back up here! You'll be no help to Columbus if you fall down too!"

Tallahassee shot a glare over his shoulder, his hand tightening on the bark of the tree he was holding. His heart was thumping deeply in his chest, his blood running like ice through his veins. He could see the trail that Columbus had left in the snow, and he wanted nothing more than to jump down that incline and find his Collie, but he knew that Wichita was right. He'd be no help to the boy if he was down there just as hurt as he was.

Tallahassee winced and his brows drew together. He didn't like that visual.

Climbing back up the top of the hill with little difficulty, he looked at the two girls, his chest heaving with each breath. He needed to calm down and get his head into gear if he wanted to help Columbus. He took off his cowboy hat, rubbing down his head for a moment, before settling it down with vigor, "I'm finding a way down."

"Okay." Wichita shrugged, her eyes searching around before they landed nervously on the hick, "But we're not coming with you."

Tallahassee didn't have to ask why. Wichita had Little Rock to take care of, and she didn't want her little sister ending up in the same situation as Columbus. Tallahassee knew this, and he understood it. He watched out for Columbus like Wichita looked out for Little Rock, and they each had to watch out for their weaker part. Tallahassee and Columbus's situation may have been a bit more intimate, but it was virtually the same. Tallahassee sure as hell wouldn't have gone looking for Little Rock in this weather if he had Columbus to watch over.

It only took him a minute to walk to the car, his shoulders square and tense. The fog around him wasn't doing anything for the worry threatening to give him a heart attack, and when he opened the door of the truck to see Columbus's shotgun lying on the seat, he was sure his heart would stop. He couldn't dwell on his thoughts, but he couldn't help but imagine Columbus lying hurt on the ground, surrounded by the undead with no way to protect himself.

Tallahassee shook his head of those stupid thoughts, cursing himself and grabbing Columbus's gun. Collie could take care of himself, Tallahassee wasn't doubting that. Collie could take care of himself up until Tallahassee found him.

* * *

Columbus wasn't entirely sure that screaming at the top of his lungs in an abandoned mountain side without a gun was a good idea, but he really couldn't think of anything else to do. Clutching his shoulder in pain wasn't the best idea either, but it helped if he grabbed handfuls of snow beforehand. The chilled white snow felt good on his severely abused shoulder, but the increasing problem was the fact that even though he was screaming louder than he ever had before, he knew his voice wasn't even getting inches into this thick fog.

He kind of wished he was hurt more, as morbid and cynical the thought was. If he was hurt more he could use that as some kind of excuse to sit down and wait, but he couldn't as long as his legs still worked and his head was still pointing him in the right direction. He wanted to sit and rest, but his mind was running a thousand miles a minute, and he was jumping at every sound that returned to him in the deep fog. The snow falling around him wasn't too cold, much like the snow he remembered from back home, but it still didn't help his mood much. He was jumpy, too jumpy, and he wasn't even sure what was out there. He had an idea, but he didn't like thinking about that too much.

"Tallahassee!" He yelled to the fog, hearing his own voice blocked out by the fog, stopping it in it's tracks. The fog was getting thicker and thicker, so much so that it felt like glue in his lungs, making it hard to draw each breath. He could barely see the ground at his feet, and his arm was already extended out in front of him, searching for trees and such so he didn't add any more injuries to his horrible day.

Columbus stopped dead in his tracks as a sudden shuffle of bushes reached his ears. The sound was loud against the dense silence of the fog, and it felt as though the sound was coming from all around him. The shuffling and breaking of twigs grew, louder and louder in his ears. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath came quicker and quicker, and his palms began to break out in a nervous sweat. He could only imagine what was out there, ready to attack him and eat him.

Gulping, Columbus frantically searched around himself, trying to find a large rock or maybe a branch that he could use to protect himself. His hands felt very empty without his shotgun in them, and he now wished above all else that he'd remembered to bring said weapon with him. Or that Tallahassee had fallen down that ravine with him. Yeah, that definitely would have been preferable.

Reaching down quickly, only pausing briefly to wince and hiss as his shoulder jarred, he grabbed a large stick that had broken off a tree from the weight of the snow with his good hand, backing up until he was pressed against the largest tree trunk he could find. With his weapon poised in front of him, Columbus still felt nervous sweat pouring down his face, his breath catching in his throat every once in a while, his hands shaking as his heart pounded in his chest. He just had to wait, and that was something he definitely didn't like.

* * *

After what felt like hours, Tallahassee was sure he was going insane. It was nearing the point where he almost wished that Wichita and Little Rock had come with him just so he had something to yell at. He couldn't find Columbus, and he would never admit it to anyone, but he had the worst sense of direction out of anyone he'd ever met. He was sure he'd gone in a giant circle around five times now, but no matter how many times he thought he'd been walking in a straight line, he came across the exact same spot he'd been in ten minutes prior. He'd even followed a pair of footsteps that he was sure was Columbus's only to find out they were his, and he'd been following them in the same circle he'd been walking in for the last hour!

He didn't dare yell out for Columbus, because he was smart enough to know that his voice didn't carry in this damn fog, and even if it did, he didn't know what would be out there to hear it. He just wanted to find his damn Columbus and get as far away from this damn fog producing mountain from hell. And he thought zombies were bad!

Tallahassee was about to curse and kick at the ground again, when he heard a muffled yell. He wasn't even sure it was a yell, it might've been his imagination. The fog had already made him think he was ten miles into the forest, it had the power to think he heard Columbus yell his name. Gulping, Tallahassee edged closer in the direction of where the yell had come from, hoping that it would come again, and he could confirm what direction he should be heading in.

Nothing came, but Tallahassee's gut and heart were telling him to just go. His legs were too, as he was already pushing through some chest-deep bushes and tree branches in the direction he was sure the voice had come from. It wouldn't hurt to check it out, right? He didn't want to even think of what would happen if he ignored the voice and it did turn out to be Columbus. And if it wasn't Columbus, and was some zombie or something, he'd just shoot it. End of story.

Grunting and pushing through the bushes and branches, Tallahassee huffed. With one final push, he was out of the tangle and emerging on a small path. Out of one problem and into another, he was immediately met with a branch to the chest. What the fuck was that! No plant life could force a branch into his chest like that.

"Fuck! Tallahassee!" He could hear Columbus nervously squeak his name, and he opened his eyes to see Collie quickly drop the branch he was wielding to the ground, his eyes wide and nervous, "Damn, I thought you were a zombie!"

"If you keep doing that I might be." Tallahassee reached up and rubbed at his chest where the branch struck him, sending a particularly scathing glare at Columbus, pleased to see that the boy wasn't too hurt at first glance. That way he could yell at him without feeling too guilty, "What are you thinking, Lassie? You gonna protect yourself against a zombie with a stick?"

"It's all I could find." Columbus breathed out, not being able to hold back a smile. Just being around Tallahassee was comforting, even if the man was yelling at him. Columbus took a step closer to the other, a certain weight being lifted off his shoulders.

Tallahassee pursed his lips when he saw how wet the boy's shirt over his shoulder was, from snow, no doubt. He raised his hands quickly, pulling back the shirt and looking at the red, purple, and blue raw skin of Columbus's shoulder, "With a bum shoulder?"

His voice was soft again. As much as he wanted to yell at Columbus for protecting himself with a stick, he just couldn't when he saw that boy's face. He was just happy he found Columbus, and before his shoulder got any worse. Sighing, he trailed his hand up to the boy's neck, gently pulling the other closer and letting his other hand wrap around Columbus's waist. Giving the boy a quick glance-over, he met Columbus's eyes, "You okay?"

"Just a little beat up." Columbus moved forward and tucked his head under Tallahassee's chin, sighing in relief, "Nothing I can't handle."

The silence creeped in, much like before. Their breaths were even more visible as the sun started to dip low in the sky, the light that had just barely been filtering through the fog was now waning, making the trees less visible. This was also making the cold seep deeper into their skin, and though the warmth of their bodies pressed together was nice, the cold was trying its hardest to creep into their clothes and make them shiver.

Tallahassee pulled back a bit, looking around quickly, not shocked to see that it was nearly dark. He pressed his hand to Columbus's cheek for a moment, smirking, "We need to start moving."

Columbus nodded, taking a spare look to his left and right, surprised at the lack of whining or yelling or otherwise. He chuckled at himself and looked at Tallahassee with a raised brow, "Where are the girls?"

"They took the truck and split." Tallahassee shrugged, taking Columbus's good hand and tugging it a bit, walking through the fog, "I thought I saw a cabin over here. Come on."

Columbus wrapped his fingers through Tallahassee's, smiling and allowing himself to be pulled.

* * *

Columbus pulled his knees to his chest, curling his toes together, letting the warmth of the fire before him warm them as they wiggled. He held his palms out to the twisting orange flames, the heat immediately traveling up his arms and warming his cheeks. The clouds and fog and snow were still falling outside, so he felt slightly bad for Tallahassee, who was scourging the forest for dry wood. Columbus offered to help him, but Tallahassee wanted Columbus to stay put in the cabin lest he wanted to get lost again.

It was a nice cabin, the one they found. Obviously the owners hadn't used it for years, even before the zombie outbreak. It was small, but comfortable. It was about as big as a comfortable apartment, minus the multiple rooms. Columbus always had a thing for cabins that were just one solid room, seeing as he'd been to one when he was a kid. There was a king sized bed pushed nicely in the corner, a fireplace in the middle of the wall, comfortably away from the bed, and there was a small table in the middle. It was nice, and Columbus had felt so from the second he walked in. Tallahassee didn't share his sentiment as he had immediately told Columbus to stay put and went out to look for wood.

Looking up when the door was hastily opened, chuckling to himself when he saw Tallahassee barge in, covered lightly in snow, before reaching and closing the door with a boot. He cursed again, stomping over loudly and depositing the wood beside the fire place, before taking off his wet hat and setting it near the fire, murmuring to himself and cursing, muttering such things about snow and wood, before toeing off his boots.

"Had a hard time?" Columbus asked quietly, looking curiously up at his boyfriend. Tallahassee had only been gone thirty minutes, tops, he didn't think it would have been that much of a trouble. Tallahassee looked down at Columbus, rolling his eyes and walking around the boy, plopping beside him and throwing an arm around Columbus's shoulders as he edged near the fire.

"No zombies, luckily, but couldn't find any dry wood if my life depended on it." Tallahassee shivered, pulling the smaller boy closer, the fire warming his feet and traveling up his legs, "You stay put for once in your life?"

"Yes." Columbus laughed, wiggling and wrapping his arm around Tallahassee's waist, resting his head on the other's shoulder. He just wanted to stay like this for a while, his good shoulder only aching a little bit, being held against Tallahassee, a warm fireplace. The fact that Little Rock and Wichita weren't here to mock them was a definite plus as well.

Tallahassee gently pressed against Columbus's shoulder, resting his cheek on top of the boy's curls, "How are you doing?"

"My shoulder's fine." Columbus sighed, smiling to himself and pressing a gentle kiss to Tallahassee's collar bone, "Thanks."

"That wasn't what I was talking about, but I like your answer." Tallahassee chuckled, quickly ignoring the fact that he had to trudge through the snow, in favor of his warming feet and the soft and warm body held against his own, "I mean, are you alright? You were out there for an hour or two by yourself."

"Oh..." Columbus shivered despite it all. He tried numerous times while he'd been sitting alone in the cabin to convince himself that he was fine, that now that he was with Tallahassee everything he was okay. He'd been shivering nearly the entire time Tallahassee was gone, and he knew that it wasn't because of the cold. Columbus shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Oh, yeah, you're perfect." Tallahassee mused sarcastically, squeezing the boy gently, "That's why you keep shaking and nearly attacked me with a stick. Hell, I'm still freaked out, but my solution to it is to just never let you go ever again. What's your solution?"

"I like your plan." Yawning, he stretched his back, before pulling himself from the other's embrace and pushing himself up to his feet, stretching out his hand to Tallahassee with a smile, "Let's go to bed. If you're as tired as I am, we're both about to fall over."

Columbus collapsed on the bed, sighing heavily as the cold and unused blankets cradled his body. Everything ached from his tumble down the hill, but the chill fabric felt like heaven. As much as he liked it, he could only imagine how good it would feel to be under the comforter, falling asleep, warm. He heard Tallahassee chuckle, and felt as the man started to take off his shoes for him, taking time with the socks, gently rubbing Columbus's ankles.

"You know..." Tallahassee crawled on the bed over Columbus, slowly drawing himself up the boy's body, pressing a gentle kiss against the slight exposure of skin at the boy's navel, before drawing up and kissing his neck, before his jaw. He came to face Columbus completely, his fingers finding their way to the boy's jaw, "I wasn't completely honest with you..."

"Hmm?" Columbus mused, particularly enjoying the treatment he was receiving.

Tallahassee pressed a tight kiss to Columbus's lips, "I was terrified."

Rolling his eyes fondly, Columbus sighed, kissing Tallahassee deeply, pulling him closer by a gentle hand on his neck. Tallahassee reared forward, holding him tightly, pressing his whole body against the one below him. As the kiss gradually grew more and more heated, before Columbus pulled back quickly, gasping, "Tallahassee...I love you."

Tallahassee smiled, kissing the other deeply again, digging his hands under the boy's body and pulling him closer, holding him tightly against his body, "I love you, too." He kissed Columbus's neck, running his tongue over the vein running the length of the boy's neck, "I was scared when I thought you were gone."

Columbus looked into the other's eyes, his heart nearly stopping in his chest as he looked at Tallahassee, his blood hot in his veins. The world disappeared when Tallahassee softly kissed him, their lips melding together softly, skin burning wherever the older man touched, bringing his hand up and rubbing his stomach tenderly. His eyes fluttered closed as his tired body was gently caressed and held, his whole body swimming in pleasure. He could feel Tallahassee's pleasure pressing against his hip, and he knew that he was reciprocating equally.

"Fuck..." Tallahassee breathed deeply as he pulled away, grasping the edge of Columbus's shirt, pulling it up and over the boy's head, being especially careful of the boy's shoulder, "careful. Don't move." He pressed a kiss to Columbus's shoulder, drawing down his chest.

Columbus opened his eyes just in time to see Tallahassee pull up, straddling his hips and sitting up, pulling his shirt off quickly, revealing his toned and muscled chest, rippling in his Floridian tan, making Columbus just want to run his hands over it.

Which he did. Tallahassee moaned as Columbus's soft fingers ran over his nipples and down his stomach, reaching for his belt and undoing it. Leaning back down and kissing the boy soundly, he opened his mouth and slipping his tongue in messily, reaching and pushing down Columbus's pants quickly, taking the boxers with them.

Columbus shivered as the cold air hit his naked manhood, the straining flesh erect against the air, making him blush, his hands shaking and unknowing what to do as Tallahassee stared down at him hungrily. His heart was thumping in his chest for a completely different reason, from even before they were completely naked, making him reached up to cover his face with his hands. He knew what was coming, he wanted it so badly, he dreamed about it, even. But now that it was staring him in the face, he couldn't stop shaking, and it wasn't because of the cold.

"Hey." Tallahassee grasped the boy's wrists, pulling them from his face and kissing him softly, smiling when those arms wrapped around his neck. Running his hands down Columbus's sides and rubbing the insides of Columbus's thighs, "Calm down."

"I am calm." Columbus gasped out, realizing that his words probably weren't legible because of his moans and gasps, which came prominent as the man continued to rub his thighs, avoiding what he really wanted Tallahassee to pay attention to. He tightened his arms around the man's neck, "Ahh! Talla..." He gasped, pulling the man down and pushing their lips together again, rutting his hips up to meet Tallahassee's erection.

Tallahassee groaned, thrusting back to the boy, one hand drawing down Columbus's erection and around, grabbing his backside tightly and pressing against it. One hand continued to stroke Columbus's length, while the other pressed against the boy's entrance, pressing in and out slowly and methodically.

Columbus groaned against the kiss, moaning deeply as he felt the other's fingers push past the rings of muscle that had previously been untouched. There was a slight sting as Tallahassee pushed past his knuckles, kissing Columbus's neck and jaw, gently rubbing up and down his chest and pinching his nipples softly. This was doing an effective job of distracting Columbus as he moaned deeply, his whole body on fire and slicked with sweat, fireworks shooting off wherever Tallahassee touched.

Tallahassee quickly added another finger into Columbus's tight entrance, watching as Columbus's face contorted in pleasure, his body thrilling in anticipation of watching as Columbus came with Tallahassee in him. He'd never felt this way before, while having sex. It was usually just a quick thing, before zombieland. He never had to wait more than a couple hours to get a girl in bed, and while one of those trysts resulted in a baby, he still didn't think much about having sex. He was the master of one-night stands, and usually when he woke up he didn't remember the woman's name, none-the-less if he cared if she enjoyed it. He was an asshole, he knew it, and he enjoyed it.

But now? All he wanted was for Columbus to experience pleasure like he never had before. Tallahassee was going to give it to him, mind blowing pleasure that he'd want to experience over and over. And he would experience it over and over, preferably tonight.

"Are you ready?" Tallahassee pulled back to look into Columbus's deep, pleasure-filled eyes, hazed over in love and lust, his chest heaving in his virgin pleasure, "Are you sure about this, Columbus?"

"Fuck, Tallahassee..." Columbus wanted to be annoyed, because he was a man, he wasn't supposed to be asked if he was sure about sex. He was supposed to want it, but now, his heart melted when Tallahassee asked. He stared back at the hick, his lips quirking in a small, shy smile, and he nodded, "Fuck me."

And Tallahassee was in love all over again.

Pulling his fingers out smoothly, he placed both of his hands on either side of Columbus's head, lining up his cock with Columbus's backside, reaching down and giving the boy one more long, loving, deep kiss, before slowly pushing in, his length pressing in past his entrance, making Columbus moan. It hurt, the sting traveling up his spine and through his blood, but it didn't surpass the pleasure he was still feeling. Wrapping his arms tightly around Tallahassee's neck, his legs around the man's waist, he threw his head back on the pillow, staring deep into Tallahassee's eyes.

When he was fully encompassed in Columbus's heat, Tallahassee groaned, his skin shaking as he held himself back from shoving in to the man below him, over and over. Instead, he slowly drew back and pushed in again, watching Columbus's face as he was repeatedly pushed into, his innocent face flushing and gasping as the burn slowly melded into pleasure.

"Ahh!" Columbus cried out as Tallahassee shot forward into him, his back arching against the comforter, his eyes wrenching closed and his nails digging into Tallahassee's back. Whatever Tallahassee had just done, he wanted it done again. It felt as his whole body was exploding in pleasure.

Tallahassee smirked, knowing all too well exactly what he'd done, and taking this chance to speed up, the bed squeaking under the torment of their love making. Their sweat slicked bodies slid together easily, their limbs tangled together as they moved and moaned, Columbus's hair sticking to his forehead. Their mouths pressed together sloppily, hands grasping at each other, Columbus's length rubbing against Tallahassee's stomach, adding to the pleasure he was already receiving. Tallahassee pressed in an pulled out at impressive speeds, grunting himself, loving the sounds Columbus was making, the pleasure on his face, the way they were so close together.

He'd never dwelled much, before, on the simple things. Columbus had made it a rule of theirs, to enjoy the little things while they were still on earth. He'd learned to enjoy everything more, but he didn't know the true extent of the rule before this moment. The way Columbus looked right now, as he shifted and moaned against his first time making love, the way his erection was encompassed and squeezed so completely, the feel of Columbus's legs tight around his hips, he enjoyed everything about this moment.

And when Columbus cried out loudly, screaming his name as he came, arms tight, tight enough to make Tallahassee groan and shout Columbus's name, thrusting deep into him as his pleasure skyrocketed, his orgasm shooting through him as he came deep inside Columbus.

"Wow..." Columbus breathed as Tallahassee slowly slid out of him, making him only wince slightly, the man rolling off him quickly and to the side. Tallahassee was breathing just as heavily as he was, and Columbus was particularly satisfied, not only because his first time was amazing, but he'd also managed to please Tallahassee as much as Tallahassee had pleased him.

"Fuck, got that right." Tallahassee pushed down the covers of the bed, throwing them over himself and Columbus, the cold of the night just barely getting to his overheated skin.

The fire they'd built was now mere embers, the darkness of the room adding a romantic feel to it, or Columbus thought. As Tallahassee pulled him close, asking tiredly if his shoulder was alright, he answered with a shy affirmative, pressing against the other, placing a kiss on his lips.

Tallahassee stayed awake as Columbus drifted into a soft sleep, very much pleased with himself as he held the other. No doubt he'd be waking Columbus up in maybe an hour to repeat their actions. He couldn't expect another round yet out of the newly-deflowered man just yet. But Columbus had to remember that this was Tallahassee, and they'd be doing the deed at least three more times before the sun came up.

"Hmm..." Columbus shifted in his near-sleep, looking up at Tallahassee with a smile, his eyes devious as he ran a hand down Tallahassee's chest, "So...you up for another go?"

"Fuck, I knew there was a reason I love you." Tallahassee swung himself up and over Columbus kissing him soundly and messily, already starting to grow hard again at Columbus's slightly more confident touches.

Tallahassee smirked, knowing that much like the rest of the situations they'd gotten themselves in, this was worth it. Not only because they finally did it, but now Tallahassee wouldn't have to have to wait for a bed every time he wanted to jump Columbus.

* * *

**Awesome. This is kind of a quick update for me, isn't it? I hope you all like it, it's my first lemon. I'm already working on two other chapters, so expect the next chapter...within a month like this time. I'm not good with updating. :)**


	19. Tradition

Title: **Traditions**

Characters/Pairing: **Tallahassee/Columbus**

Disclaimer: This doesn't belong to me.

Summary: It wasn't a secret that Columbus was jealous of that '3' on the side of the car. Every time he saw Tallahassee paint that number he'd cringe. Everyone saw it, but he didn't mind it so much nowadays. He could easily forget that 'tradition' in leu of their new one.

* * *

Columbus felt his lips purse tightly into a thin line when he saw the paint can in Tallahassee's hands, the other's fingers already starting to twitch in anticipation. The clear gleam of the red truck sat idle, unaware of the torment it was about to be succumbed to. The clean red paint stood still as Tallahassee raised his hand swiftly, poising the spray can over the side, before starting. One swoop, then another.

It wasn't a mystery that Columbus was jealous of that '3'. Every time they were forced to get a new car, Columbus was weary. He knew what was coming, he knew it would happen, yet every time he never could hold back the wince. He shouldn't, in all rights, be jealous of that number. He had numerous theories as to why Tallahassee did this action every time, and every one of those theories made Columbus sink deeper and deeper into his own jealousy infused guilt. He shouldn't be jealous, should he?

"Dude. Chill your beef, man." Wichita came to a stop next to him, having felt his anger and jealousy from miles away. She cocked her hips to the side and eyed him wearily, placing her shotgun across her shoulders, "It's just a three. It's probz cuz of his son, you know."

"That's why I feel like shit!" Columbus groaned, reaching up and rubbing down his hair irritatedly, tearing his eyes away from his boyfriend, "His son was three when he died, right? That's the only reason Tallahassee could possibly have to write that number on the side of the car over and over again. God dammit!"

Wichita rolled her eyes and turned around, walking away. She had wanted to tell Columbus that he had absolutely nothing to worry about and that Tallahassee loved him more than was healthy, but he should probably figure that out by himself.

Columbus huffed again, rubbing his hands against his pants as he waited for Tallahassee to finish his ritual. They were standing in the middle of an abandoned highway, definitely not the greatest place in the world to be, but when Tallahassee had seen that gleaming red extra long huge, gigantic pick-up truck sitting on the side of the road, he couldn't hold back his glee. They'd had their weapons and various other items transferred into the new vehicle before Wichita and Little Rock had even pulled over to ask what the hell they were doing.

They were headed toward Mexico. Columbus wished they'd get back on the road, they were almost at the border. But Tallahassee insisted on stopping and getting in that stupid red truck and put that stupid black three on the door. He jumped as he heard Wichita's car rev up behind him, the girls already getting back on the road, making him look longingly as he watched their bumper disappear in the distance.

"They already headed out?" Tallahassee threw the can to the side and looked down the road after the car in curiosity, his lips quirked in a small smirk in the aftermath of his new vehicle. Glancing toward Columbus, his smirk faltered a bit when he saw his boyfriend's obvious discomfort, but shrugged it off, "Well, come on, Spit Fuck, let's get this show on the road."

Columbus sighed at himself again, trudging toward the car. He was particularly excited to get into the car, both because he wouldn't have to see that number anymore, and because the heat was making him almost literally want to kill himself. If this truck didn't have ice cold AC he would personally see to it that Tallahassee slept alone tonight.

Sighing in pleasure when the cold air hit his skin, Columbus shut the door quickly, hearing Tallahassee do the same. The interior of the car was smooth against his hands, not leather, something he appreciated, especially in the summer heat. It was large, too, the connected seats that made up the front seat of the truck pushed back as far as it would go. Spacious, cold, and not leather. Columbus chuckled when he realized that he could definitely get used to this.

Columbus heard Tallahassee shift, and he glanced up nervously, the silence seeping in between them, and nearly jumped when he saw that Tallahassee had closed the distance between them, his lips inches from Columbus's own. His heart nearly stopped when Tallahassee pressed him against the door, his hands already searching under Columbus's shirt.

"Talla...Wait..." Columbus was silenced when Tallahassee kissed him soundly, drawing a moan from the boy's lips, his protests silenced quickly. Tallahassee smirked and drew back, whipping the boy's shirt off, attacking Columbus's chest with lips and nips, particularly enjoying the moans and yelps he was getting.

Columbus threw his head back against the window, already growing hard from the treatment he was receiving. What on earth had brought this on? Gasping, Columbus realized he didn't particularly care, and he probably wouldn't particularly care when Tallahassee was thrusting into him, both of them on the brink of pleasure.

* * *

"So, you guys did it, right?" Little Rock asked as she sauntered through the isles of Walmart with Columbus, her walk tired and slow, seeing as it was eleven thirty at night. She smirked when Columbus gave a small yelp, his head whipping around to stare incredulously at her.

"W-what!"

"You two did the deed." She looked curiously at the shelves of canned foods, running her fingers over the labels and over the edge of the shelf, "it's not a mystery. It doesn't take an hour to drive twenty miles, you know."

Columbus coughed deep in his throat, straightening his legs to try and make it look as if he weren't limping.

"Not only that, but you guys do it, like, every time Tallahassee gets a new car." She snorted, taking a can of baby corn and putting it in the cart Columbus was pushing, thinking about it, then adding another. Maybe she could talk Columbus into getting some vienna sausages, she had a guilty pleasure for those.

Columbus scoffed, turning his head away to give a look toward the floor. She was crazy, right? If there was one thing Tallahassee didn't do when they got a new car, that was jump Columbus. They did happen to do it in every new car, but it wasn't like Tallahassee was making a 'thing' of it. That stupid three was the only thing Tallahassee thought about. That stupid number was the bane of Columbus's existence.

* * *

Columbus breathed heavily as he came down from his orgasm, his head fuzzy from pleasure, the small ache from his back just barely tickling his nerves. His left foot was raised above, pressed against the driver's side headrest, his right was pressed against his chest, gently held by Tallahassee. Columbus accepted the messy kiss Tallahassee planted on him, wincing slightly when the man withdrew. Tallahassee gently caressed his neck and cheek, pressing against Columbus's jaw bone and kissing him softly.

Tallahassee pulled Columbus to a seated position, setting the smaller man in his lap and pulling him close, the chill of the night outside the car windows causing goosebumps to raise on his sweat chilled skin. He rubbed the base of Columbus's back, enjoying the soft sound of Columbus's deep breathing, "I wasn't too rough, was I?"

"Well, I won't be able to walk for a couple hours." Columbus flushed deeply, resting his head on Tallahassee's shoulder, letting his eyes slide closed. He felt Tallahassee hold him a fraction tighter, and he smiled. He definitely didn't mind this rough side, being pressed against the car door and the seat, feet pressed against the ceiling, muscles tightening from the strain as Tallahassee rammed into him, hard.

"But." Columbus pulled back and pressed his forehead against the other's, "I didn't hate it." He smiled, "Calm it down a little next time, would ya?"

"God..." Tallahassee chuckled, searching Columbus's eyes, their skin pressed together. His heart swelled when he thought about it, his blood ran hot in his veins, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, "I love you."

Columbus flushed again, leaning against Tallahassee's shoulder and closing his eyes, sighing deeply and pressing forward close enough that their skin was against each others, breath mingling, sharing heat. He felt Tallahassee's hands at his back and he couldn't help but smile wide, "I love you, too. So much."

He'd completely forgotten about that stupid three, and he was glad he did.

* * *

"'Kay, so, I'm totally not going to, but if I was, this would totally be the part where I say 'I told you so'." Little Rock slammed onto the couch next to Columbus, sighing and kicking her feet up onto the table, "You two did it in the jeep."

"That was completely by coincidence." Columbus continued picking at the dirt under his nails, his toes twiddling together on the edge of the couch. It was the middle of the day, but he couldn't particularly say that their sleeping habits were regular nowadays. Wichita and Tallahassee were up sleeping in the few bedrooms this house had, and Little Rock and Columbus were sitting down watching Bambi in the living room.

Columbus pursed his lips, wracking his brain over and over to think of any possible reason as to why Tallahassee would have jumped him this time. The hick had practically dragged Columbus to the car, throwing him inside and practically tearing his clothes off. He'd barely finished spray painting the three, which happened to look like a strange blocky 'E', before grabbing Columbus.

So...why did Tallahassee always want to...do that...in the car? Columbus still got jealous every time Tallahassee got out the spray can, but he was beginning to almost look forward to getting a new car. He could look past the three if it meant that Tallahassee would pay attention to him afterwords.

"See?" Little Rock laughed, nudging Columbus in the side, "told you."

"Told me what?" Columbus murmured, pulling at a drawstring to his jacket, raising it so his teeth could chew at it nervously.

* * *

Columbus found himself in yet another compromising situation as Tallahassee attacked his neck. He swore the man was finding more and more new cars just so that they could have sex in them. Columbus didn't particularly care, but it was strange that they'd found more cars in the past week then they had in the whole time they'd been in Zombieland. Tallahassee usually liked to keep it to one car for at least two months at a time.

"Wait!" Columbus gasped, pressing his hands against Tallahassee's chest and pushing the man away as much as he could, though the hands under his shirt and undoing his pants were particularly distracting, "Wait a minute! Tallahassee!"

The man pulled back, hands stilling, his brows drawing together in slight annoyance and slight curiosity as he regarded his boyfriend, "What?"

"Why..." Columbus tried to catch his breath, his lips pursed together in determination, "Why are you doing this?"

"Well, you are my boyfriend." Tallahassee couldn't help but wince when he said that word. He loved Columbus to death, but that didn't mean he liked that girly word, "Having sex comes with that, right? Plus, it's not like we haven't done it before. Quite a bit actually..."

"Tallahassee!" Columbus flushed, meeting Tallahassee's eyes, "I mean...why are you doing this? We do it in every new car you get, why is that?"

Tallahassee stopped, his fingers pressing nervously on Columbus's skin. Pulling back, he pulled the boy's shirt down, before raising to a seated position in the car.

"It's hard to explain." Tallahassee grunted, his lips pursing in annoyance when he caught Columbus's questioning gaze. Couldn't the boy have waited until they were done? If there was one thing that he hated being interrupted from, it was this. That, and eating a twinkie, but even that was something he let Columbus get away with from time to time. He sighed again, "You know how I put that three on the door?"

Columbus gave a soft snort, looking away from Tallahassee finally and nodding, his hands working on the edge of his shirt, "Yeah."

In fact, he knew all to well.

"I figure you already know why." Tallahassee didn't like the feeling that welled up in his chest when he saw Columbus give him that look, "Buck. He died when he was three. Enough said. I put the number on the car as something to remember him by."

Columbus shrugged, growing uncomfortable at the situation. He didn't like bringing up bad memories from Tallahassee, especially when they were brought up because he was being selfish.

"But that's why I do this." Tallahassee gestured in between them, shifting closer to reach over and press his lips against Columbus's neck, if only to stop the boy from giving him that damned look. He hated that look. It was a mixture of sadness and jealousy, all mixed into a uncomfortable wrapper that was Columbus.

Columbus was confused. So much so, he just sat there as Tallahassee tried desperately to draw a reaction out of him. Shaking his head, he pressed his hands once again against Tallahassee's chest, ignoring the groan and the roll of eyes he received, "Wait, wait, wait. You put that three on the door as a tradition of sorts, you always do it."

"You could call it that, yes." Tallahassee sighed, running a hand up to caress Columbus's neck, pressing softly, "But that's also what I do with you. I..." Tallahassee gulped, his nose scrunching up as his obvious lack of skill at talking came through, "I just do, okay?" He sighed, turning away for only a second, a small line of red going across his cheeks and nose, before he looked at Columbus again, his eyes determined and hard, "I write that three on the door so I don't ever forget. I won't forget. It's a constant reminder of what I lost. I do this with every car. You are my reminder that the world isn't so fucked up."

Something shot down Columbus spine as he thought about what the man had said, not bothering to push Tallahassee off as the man attacked his neck again. Suddenly, the three on the door didn't matter at all anymore, not a tiny bit, in Columbus's mind. Tallahassee might've not been the best with words, but his meaning came though loud and clear. Just the words made Columbus's eyes water, no matter how hard he tried to hold it back.

"Fuck..." Columbus chuckled to himself, slowly bringing his arms around Tallahassee's neck and pulling him closer, taking a deep breath and looking at the other through his lashes, "really?"

"I wouldn't be fucking you in a car every week if I didn't mean it." Tallahassee let a pleased smirk cross his face as Columbus's face lit in a fierce blush at his harsh words.

Columbus rolled his eyes, moving in to kiss Tallahassee slowly, not even Tallahassee's crude choice of words able to break his incredibly good mood. Columbus let his head fall back as the Floridian shifted down to lick and nip at his neck, his moan loud enough to make a zombie jealous.

* * *

"Yes, we had sex in the car." Columbus plopped down on the couch as Little Rock finished putting in another movie, her glance over her shoulder showing the boy that she had been ready to ask. Columbus coughed into his hand, only slightly red due to his admission, "And it was nice, thank you very much."

"Did you ask why?" Little Rock threw her feet on the table, sighing in fatigue at the long day she was resting from, "or does Tallahassee need a reason to jump your bones every other day?"

Columbus smirked, remembering the day before. It had been particularly pleasurable after their admission, and needless to say, they hadn't met up with Little Rock and Wichita till this afternoon. They'd done it so many times neither of them could move.

"Yeah, on second thought, I don't really want to know." Little Rock sneered at the look Columbus was sporting. She didn't argue when Columbus stood up a second later, disappearing, only to be replaced by her sister a second later. Wichita and Little Rock shared a look, before Wichita gently took the remote from Little Rock's hand, turning up the volume of the television.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry for how long it took me to update, I really do feel bad. I hate it when a favorite story doesn't update for a while, and recently, it's been happening a lot. Hopefully I'll come up with a few new stories for you guys.**


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